German European Affairs Minister Michael Roth has reacted after Slovenian media Necenzurirano.si published Thursday a non-paper that Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa reportedly sent to the EU proposing about changing borders in the Western Balkans proposing “peaceful dissolution” of Bosnia and Herzegovina, annexation of the Republika Srpska by Serbia and unification of Kosovo with Albania.
German Minister Roth wrote on Twitter that the redrawing of borders in the Western Balkan region is a dangerous path.
“Countries on Western Balkans have a future only as multiethnic and multireligious societies. Regional reconciliation and cooperation are the keys for peace, democracy, and prosperity. Drawing new frontiers is a dangerous path,” Roth said in his post on Twitter on Thursday quoted by Kosovo media on Friday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has continuously opposed the ideas of redrawing borders in the Western Balkan region.
A scheme launched by Albanian PM Edi Rama and Serb President Aleksandar Vucic a few years ago has not been welcomed by many political circles, even beyond WB, has caused an uproar in the region with the exception of official Tirana which has not reacted as yet. Countries like Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro have rejected the scheme.
The US has said it is against the break-up of Bosnia, following a radical proposal widely attributed to incoming EU presidency Slovenia.
“The United States deeply values its longstanding partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina. We support its sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect for which was enshrined in the Dayton Peace Accords,” a state department spokesperson said on 15 April, referring to a 1995 peace deal which ended a bloody ethnic conflict.
The Croatian foreign minister, Grlić Radman, said the same one day earlier. /argumentum.al
