Germany confirmed once again their commitment to keep an open door for
Albania’s EU accession, but they also expect thorough implementation of
key rule of law reforms.
The German Ambassador to Tirana, Susanne Schutz, said EU and Germany will keep unchanged their commitment for having Albania and five other Western Balkan countries as EU members in the future, despite the current difficulties that the union is facing, such as mass immigration, Brexit and populism.
For analyst Eamonn Butler, Britains’ exit turns Germany into a stronger advocate and protector of Balkan, although this region will still be a key part of the United Kingdom, even from outside the EU.
Russian influence in Balkans is one of the most discussed topics. Norbert Mappes-Diediek, an analyst very experienced for the region, said for Deutsche Welle that if EU withdraws from Balkan, there could be serious consequences for the entire Europe.
“EU has been the only alternative of smaller countries that don’t go very well with each other”, he argues, and that’s why the EU perspective has played a great role to keep peace in a very conflicted region.
For Mappes-Diediek, the real “gunpowder barrel” is not Balkan, but Europe, and Balkan is the fuse that may take fire at any time.
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