MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/. Russia calls on the European Union to drop its neo-colonial ambitions and stick to a respect-based and equal approach to the Western Balkans nations, Russian Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Alexey Zaitsev said on Friday.
He drew attention to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s statement at a joint news conference with visiting Prime Minister of unrecognized Kosovo Albin Kurti, when he said that "the Western Balkan belong to Europe" and are to become part of the European Union in the future.
"EU officials are making such unbinding statements to cheer up the Western Balkan nations, which are growing disappointed over the stalling process of their rapprochement with the European Union," Zaitsev noted. "The most deplorable thing is that Germany and a number of other EU countries, which seem to have forgotten the lessons of history, continue to look upon the Western Balkans as a sphere of their exclusive geopolitical interests and are openly treating them as their backyard. And, at the same time, they are accusing Russia of seeking to establish its zones of influence in Europe."
According to the diplomat, Moscow has repeatedly condemned "the vile practices" of using the EU-wards aspirations of the countries of this region for "blatant blackmailing, unfair competition and squeezing out investments" of countries that are not EU members, which make real contribution to the socio-economic growth and stability in the Western Balkans. "Under the pretext of following Brussel’s policy, the Balkan nations are forced to support the anti-Russian sanctions, and are faced with an artificial choice: either with the European Union, or with Russia," he said, adding that the Brussel’s agenda ignores the Western Balkans’ mentality, historical, linguistic, religious, and cultural roots, which is fraught for the countries of the region "with the loss of sovereignty and the right to an independent and multi-vector policy."
"And notably, no one guarantees them EU membership in the foreseeable future," he stressed. "We call on the European Union to drop its neo-colonial ambitions and stick to the respect-based and equal approach to the neighboring countries, including in the Western Balkan."