Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is a priority for Europe

 

 French Ambassador to Albania Elizabeth Barsak believes that the "real issue" in the discussion on the Open Balkans initiative is the recognition of Kosovo's independence, and says dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is a priority for Europe. Barsak said she was skeptical of the Open Balkans initiative, of which Pristina is not a part, according to the Kosovo newspaper Koha Ditore.

"I believe that everything that has been done to sign the agreement on progress and increase bilateral exchanges is very good, but if you look at it from the global perspective of the whole region, the real problem remains Kosovo's recognition of Serbia and dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. " "We will not be able to sustainably build a truly sovereign Europe if we do not have this dialogue and do not make progress in this area," the ambassador said.

She recalled that free roaming was introduced in the Western Balkans on July 1, 2021, and said that was why she remembered the creation of a coal and steel community between Germany and France, the predecessor of the European Union.

"It starts with things like that, maybe not very spectacular, to move on to really important things. Today, free communication, the use of telephones wherever you are in the region, was more or less like coal at that time. In the area where you can travel fast, because the distances are not great, you can go to Shkodra for lunch in Podgorica without having problems with the phone, "said Barsak.

The ambassador of France, the country that took over the six-month presidency of the European Union on January 1st, stressed that there should be no division in the process of European integration between Albania and  Macedonia, although "Skopje is hostage to a Bulgarian veto".