Montenegro's EU accession would be of great importance for Serbia, too: Milic on Eurointegration

The fact that Hungary will have a candidate for the enlargement (commissioner) is very good news for Serbia, Montenegro and the entire Western Balkans, Director of the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies (CEAS) Jelena Milic has assessed, adding that "many things will happen by countries pulling each other."

Asked about the real power of Hungarian Laszlo Trocsanyi to put the enlargement policy at the top of EC's agenda, Milic told the daily Pobjeda that this is difficult to say because of the changed circumstances.

Recommended

She added that Eastern European countries have been members of the EU long enough, and that the kind of elitism where old members have a crucial say in the 21st century cannot pass because of the changing geopolitical circumstances.

For that reason, she added, EU membership is no longer a good motivating factor for the countries of the region.

From Serbia's point of view, strengthening ties with the countries of the Visegrad Group and the Orthodox troika - Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, which are NATO members - is the most logical move it is currently making, as well as improving relations with the US, Milic assessed.

"If Montenegro were to join the EU tomorrow - it would be better news for Serbian citizens than for Montenegrin citizens because it is already in NATO, it has already started integrations and has managed to achieve a significant political framework. If Montenegro were to quickly become an EU member, it would take away many of Serbia's arguments in its relations with Montenegro and save Serbia from any interference and ethnic and hybrid minority collaborations. Montenegro's accession to the EU would be of great importance for Serbia as well," Milic told Pobjeda.

It will be very useful to Montenegro for Serbia to find a compromise solution for Kosovo in negotiations with the US, that will keep Serbia on the path of European integration.

"A solution that would not be obstructed by Russia on paper is the best outcome for all. Then Russia would have less reason to try to destabilize the region and would have fewer channels of pressure and influence on Serbia. Then maybe bilateral relations between individual countries with Russia would be reduced to a degree of relations that don't endanger the European path, like what the EU countries have," said Milic.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)