Branko Crvenkovski, the former president of Macedonia, spoke at Monday’s forum on the Western Balkans, held in Sarajevo. He reminded that every country in the Western Balkans has set a strategic goal – membership in the European Union, reports “Klix.ba”.

Speaking about Macedonia’s experience on the EU path, Crvenkovski pointed out that the country has not been able to make a single step forward for 12 years and reminded of the demands of Greece, France and Bulgaria, which, as he said, have nothing to do with the criteria prescribed by the European Commission needed to start negotiations.

He recalled that the country had even changed its name, but said the process of integrating the Western Balkan countries into the EU was “slow, not to say stalled”. Therefore, he wonders what are the intentions of European countries and pointed out that some countries block the accession of new members.

What if we are forced, not of our own free will, to look for alternatives. Not to be misunderstood, I do not see either the East or the Far East as an alternative, Crvenkovski said, explaining that countries in the region should “Europeanize with their own capacities”.