The candidate countries of the Western Balkans must demonstrate in practice that they genuinely aspire to join the EU, emphasized New Democracy MEP Dimitris Tsiodras during today’s plenary session of the European Parliament. “We have been and continue to be strong supporters of the European perspective of the Western Balkans, a process initiated in Thessaloniki in 2003,” noted Mr. Tsiodras.

“However, it is clear that the European perspective is tied to a set of conditions, such as adherence to the Copenhagen criteria, shared values, respect for the rule of law, and fundamental rights.

Take, for example, what is happening in Albania, which disregards the human and property rights of the Greek ethnic minority. Our colleague, Freddy Beleris, was convicted precisely because he defended these rights. These issues are referenced in the Council’s decisions, along with the necessity for North Macedonia to respect its bilateral agreements.

Treaties are international, legally binding documents for the parties involved, and they cannot be unilaterally modified.”

Mr. Tsiodras further stated that candidate countries must foster cooperative relations with their European neighbors and align their foreign policies with the European direction rather than siding with third parties outside the European Union.

He concluded by stressing that “enlargement must proceed, but candidate countries need to demonstrate their commitment to this path in tangible ways.”