BALKAN SOON TO EXPLODE - Frightening report of NATO on region

With high rates of unemployment, wildly spread corruption, erosion of the state of democracy and the rule of law, often with Russian interference in state affairs, the Western Balkans should be strongly supported in the Euro-Atlantic integration, said the latest draft of the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the NATO alliance. The draft report was published by the economy and security of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which was previously prepared by Richard Benyon, the rapporteur for the economy and security committee and member of the Conservative Party in the UK.

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The Parliamentary Assembly of NATO, an intergovernmental organization of Alliance members and associated countries, is the body which communicates directly with the parliamentary structures of the national governments of the Member States. The main objective of the Parliamentary Assembly is to create a political agenda of the NATO Council, through the reports of its five committees, which will be presented at the annual meeting in the fall.

Foto: NATO

The draft report on the assessment of the economic transition in the Western Balkans gives insight into the political and economic situation in the region, with a brief review of history. The report states that the Western Balkan remains an area of particular interest to NATO, which is currently present in the region, through forces on Kosovo (KFOR) and Althea operation. It is emphasized that only Serbia and Republika Srpska did not show interest in becoming a part of NATO.

Although NATO recognizes that the EU was a key player in maintaining stability in the region, they also believe that the economic crisis "seems to open the door to anti-EU populist and nationalist movements."

Foto: AP/Tanjug

The process of European integration of the region was shaken by a number of political and economic issues, but also due to external factors. As one of the major problems that have caused disruption in the region, stands out in the draft report, is the current instability in the EU, caused by the flourishing of nationalist and authoritarian movements.

Kosovo is often concerned with the tensions in relations with Serbia, which are in the rise in the last year by the report, ever since "Belgrade sent a train painted with a slogan "Kosovo is Serbia "". Relations are even worse since Pristina announced its intention to form a regular army.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

As for Montenegro, a country that will soon become a NATO member, the report deals with the planned coup and the opposition, which is currently boycotting parliament, while the situation in Macedonia "is daunting," with the president who refuses to give a mandate to opposition leader Zoran Zaev to form a government.

- All in all, the political tensions between the countries of the Western Balkans can not soothe even with the interventions of the EU - written in the draft report.

Foto: Profimedia/Abaca

In addition to internal problems, the Western Balkans are facing a high unemployment rate, especially among young people, who are "more susceptible to demagoguery and disinformation". As for the state of democracy, the report states that the level of democratic development in the Western Balkans regressed six years in a row.

Also, the draft report deals with the relations of Russia with the countries of the Western Balkans, which makes the region "fertile ground to provoke NATO and EU influence."

The report concludes that there is a very high risk that the Western Balkans can slid back toward nationalistic ideologies.

(Telegraf.co.uk / europeanwesternbalkans.com)