Somehow, however, this hurdle must be overcome on Serbia’s path to the EU. According to Inzko, this is irreversible: “The EU must find more creative approaches to bringing Serbia and the other countries in the region closer together. If that was once possible with Cyprus or the GDR, it should also be possible here.”
“Unser Innenhof”
But Inzko also sees the problem within the EU. They are still divided on the recognition of Kosovo to this day. States like Spain or Slovakia still haven’t recognized Kosovo. But the conflicts and problems in the Balkans could not be put off indefinitely: “Europe must finally get more involved. We have to look at this area as an inner courtyard. These are our own problems, for which we also need our own solutions. Security Europe begins in the Balkans.”
“part of the EU”
Inzko himself has had to experience far too often how little attention Europe often pays to the Balkan crisis regions. While soldiers from Chile were once still providing security in Bosnia, Germany had already withdrawn its peacekeeping troops.
Sooner or later, Inzko sees only one long-term perspective for the region: the entire Balkans as part of the EU. Then, the experienced diplomat allows himself a bit of humor, all Balkan countries could safely live out their nationalism: “Then they can dream of their Greater Albania, Greater Serbia, Greater Croatia – and nobody has to move a border by even a millimeter.”