As part of the World Economic Forum (WEF), former Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj participated in an international panel on the stability and future of the Balkans, joined by political leaders, diplomats, and security experts from around the world.
During his speech, Hoxhaj emphasized that the Balkans should no longer be seen as Europe’s periphery, but as one of the most sensitive regions for European security. “The Balkans are not Europe’s periphery, but among its most problematic regions for security. Today, it is the clearest example of Europe’s serious security dilemmas,” Hoxhaj stated.
He warned that the lack of attention and political commitment from the West toward the region is creating a dangerous situation.
“What we see today is not just peripheral insecurity, but systematic ambiguity. Western ambiguity toward the Balkans is a direct invitation for escalation,” he noted.
Referring to Kosovo’s experience, Hoxhaj reminded that the European continent is not immune to the return of war. “As a country that experienced war and genocide 27 years ago, we believed these would be the last such events in Europe. Today, with the return of conflict, that illusion has fallen,” he said.
Hoxhaj identified Serbia as the main source of regional instability. “The primary threat to security in the Balkans is Serbia, with its hegemonist policies toward Kosovo, Montenegro, and Bosnia. Americans and Europeans must put an end to this policy,” he stressed.
In this context, Hoxhaj called for a geopolitical awakening in the West and clear support for the Euro-Atlantic integration of the region. “NATO and the EU must seriously support the membership of Kosovo and other remaining countries, as well as demonstrate real determination for EU enlargement toward the Balkans,” he declared.
He criticized the EU’s current approach to enlargement, describing it as exhausted. “Enlargement cannot continue as a technocratic process. Open-ended reforms have produced fatigue, integration without guarantees has produced alignment without loyalty, and unfulfilled promises have severely damaged the EU’s credibility,” Hoxhaj stated.
According to him, the Balkans today are in an unstable position: “The region is economically integrated, politically excluded, and security-wise dependent, with serious security vacuums.”
He warned that these vacuums do not remain empty.
“In the new geopolitical situation, security vacuums are quickly filled, and history has taught us that they are filled by opponents of the West and of peace,” Hoxhaj concluded.
