France to be more involved in Balkans

The leaders from Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and France met in Kranj for the highest unofficial forum between Southeastern Europe and the EU members. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, French President Francois Hollande said that many preconditions for the EU accession were fulfilled by each country of the region, but much more remains to be done at the level of the regional cooperation and reconciliation. Today’s meeting, Hollande said, brings a message of peace for all the people of the Balkans who went though tremendous sufferings during the wars in the nineties. Hollande promised that his country will be more active in the region, reminding about the role France have had in the recent past, being one of the countries to send peace forces after the conflicts. At the same time, France was one of the initiators for the opening of the EU enlargement process for the region. “The lasting peace and stability are possible if accompanied with the EU accessions,” Hollande said. “For me, the Balkans is a very important issue, that I connect personally with. We give our support to the region to be a part of the European future.” Borut Pahor, Slovenian President, said that this meeting could represent a very good opportunity for future cooperation. “Countries from the region have different status regarding the EU, but the fact is that we live in the same area that is part of the Europe,” Pahor said. The next meeting at the same level will be held in Croatia. From 1991 to 1999 four wars occurred in the region resulting in over 200,000 deaths, and millions of displaced people. The bloodiest war was the one from 1992 to 1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where genocide was committed. France took active role in peace negotiations and post war reconstruction in the entire region.