Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, who is attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, addressed Friday a panel on reconciliation in the Balkans where he referred to the geopolitical situation in Europe after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saying it is an additional factor why the EU should without a delay inject a more dynamic momentum in the EU integration process of all Western Balkan countries.

Osmani stressed that the region, despite its democratic deficits and weaknesses, has an important role to play in and for Europe.

Full integration of the region is in EU’s direct political, security and economic interest as a geostrategic investment towards a stable and prosperous region. In fact, the region is surrounded by EU member states and it must not be allowed to be a vulnerable point on the continent, and the EU must no longer treat the accession process in the Western Balkans as an open issue, said Osmani.