The American Vice-President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that whole, free and peaceful Europe is not possible without its southeast which has to be integrated, sending a message to the countries of Brdo-Brijuni process that the doors of NATO remain wide opened.
Biden said that the USA has never abandoned this part of the world and that they always watch over Europe, and expressed full commitment of his country to the objectives written in the Dayton Agreement.
“We are strongly committed to the objectives set in the Dayton Agreement, the integration of this European region in the institutional structures of Europe for the first time,” Biden highlighted.
Biden said that the integration of the Balkan countries in EU and NATO represents the best way of promoting security and stability, and invited members of Brdo-Brijuni process to be courageous in launching necessary reforms for entering the Euro-Athlantic integration process.
“Doors of NATO remain wide opened. Croatia and Slovenia have demonstrated that it is possible through reforms and reconciliation,” said the America’s second man and especially mentioning Montenegro in this context. “We strongly support their membership in NATO,” Biden said.
Only in this year, Biden said, the USA invested $130 million in this “economically and strategically important area”. “There is no doubt for me: the future of the Western Balkans is within the European Union,” Biden concluded. Furthermore, he expressed concern with the situation in B& that represents an example of “halt of process” and said that “the people of B&H is stopped on the path of progress” due to the slowness of its leaders.
Speaking of the importance of this part of Europe, Biden reflected on the issue of energetic dependency and highlighted the necessity of diversification of energy sources since “no country should use energy to manipulate other countries in interior and exterior terms”.
(Source: klix.ba/ photo telegram)
