US envoy to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said today that the region needed political leaders committed to European integration, open to dialogue, who would address the possibilities of the 21st century, not the problems of the past.

"The key to a stronger Western Balkans is one that creates inclusion, not exclusion, integration instead of disintegration, ethnic reconciliation, not nationalist policies," Escobar told the Belgrade Security Forum. reports Blic.rs.

Escobar said one of the biggest and most disappointing challenges was that "many politicians have not developed their thinking" and that the problems of the 1990s, which should have been resolved long ago by political will, are still being discussed.

"We need politicians committed to the EU, the will of the people, but unfortunately that is not always the case. "We are seeing some disturbing trends in the concentration of power in political parties, in the concentration of economic opportunities only among the people associated with those parties," he said.

He added that the Serbian Ministry of Finance, which has managed the economy so successfully, was at the same time examining the activities of civil society organizations that criticized the government.

"The choice for the Western Balkans will be what kind of leaders will emerge from the region. Will they be leaders who embrace the idea of ​​an economic miracle, a $ 125 billion economy and a market of 20 million people, or do they continue to deal with issues from 1990? "It is a choice for the people, not for the international community."

Sanctions are not a solution for the Balkans

He added that sanctions are a tool that will be used, but will not be a primary tool, and to use sanctions, they are not a solution for the Balkans.

"The solution is elections, the motivation of the people, the participation of the public in the political sphere," Escobar said, adding that leaders must open a dialogue with civil society and the opposition.

A senior State Department official stressed that the policy of every US administration since former US President Bill Clinton is that all six Western Balkan countries should soon be part of the European Union and that the region can count on the United States as a partner.

"Many countries have made great progress and I hope that together with our European counterparts we will be able to convince members that they are not as risky as possible," Escobar said.

He added that every country that has become an EU member has become more democratic, more stable and more prosperous, reports Beta.

Escobar pointed out that the Western Balkans are a major driver of economic growth, adding that Serbia's economy has grown seven times since 2000. He expressed support for economic co-operation between the Western Balkan countries, either, as he put it, through the Common Regional Market or through the Open Balkans initiative.