Nothing has changed. That, in a nutshell, is what French President Francois Hollande told Balkan leaders meeting with their EU counterparts Monday in Paris — even though the bloc delayed more membership talks with Serbia last week.
Hollande said Britain's vote to leave the EU will not affect the bloc's agreements with Balkan states.
“It's not just a question of honoring,” he said, “but a reminder of the EU's foundations to countries that have gone through the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, civil war, nationalism, extremism … and now peace.”
The same message was delivered by German Chancellor Angela Merkel during talks between leaders of four EU countries and their counterparts from non-EU Balkan states.
Those countries — Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania — also said London's vote will not change their EU membership drive.
Migration worries
Besides Brexit, combating extremism and curbing the migration crisis topped the Paris agenda.
But several NGOs expressed concern that Europe's migrant crisis is getting short shrift — including the worrying fallout of a new EU-Turkey migration deal that has driven migrants to shift to more dangerous routes to Europe from Libya or Egypt.
"Now that the Balkan route is closed, we are back to this much more dangerous, much more deadly, road and there is still no international European reaction to this crisis, which needs a long-term solution,” said Florent Schaeffer, who is in charge of Balkans issues at French NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire.
Hollande said nations did discuss welcoming migrants and cracking down on traffickers. He also outlined agreements on youth and energy cooperation among Balkans states.
The EU considers greater Balkan integration essential for regional stability.
via Voice of America http://ift.tt/29fuirV
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