Regional Cooperation in Southeast Europe - Old Challenges, New Threats

summary of lecture given at Universitas Danubiana (May 7, 1998)

In comparison to other parts of Europe that are covered by dense network of regional organizations, regional cooperation in the Balkan and Danubian Europe is considerably lagging behind. Immediate, even though not the main cause for this was the Yugoslav crisis that affected in various ways all the countries of the region disrupting the development of their relations after the end of the cold war and hampering regional cooperation in general. The fact that regional cooperation in South-Eastern Europe is lagging in comparison with the West and Central Europe, the Baltic and even the Black Sea Region, is actually only partly due to the war in former Yugoslavia. Deeper causes may be found in the historical differences and relative backwardness of these countries, in the incompatibility of their economies and, particularly, in their political marginalization during the Nineties. Regional cooperation in Central Europe enjoyed strong support from the USA and the EU (particularly of United Germany), whilst Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries took this role in the Baltic region, and Turkey, with US support, took initiative in the development of Black Sea coopera-tion (BSEC). At the beginning of the Nineties such initiatives were missing in South-Eastern Europe. The EUs' regional approach had lost its momentum soon after the end of the Italian presidency in the EU, whereas the American SECI is self-assistance program and hardly can bring significant results without the substantial funds from abroad. For that reason some of the South-East European countries adopted "go it alone" approach towards the European integrations, and this further contributed not merely to the disintegration of former Yugoslavia, but also to the deepening of political differences among the Balkan and Danube countries. The wish to "escape from the Balkans" was reason for Slovenia's and Croatia's reluctance about the regional approach of the EU and American SECI. Furthermore, Croatia is not ready to join any multilateral arrangement with the Balkan countries, whilst quite a number of Balkan countries prefer to see themselves as a Central European rather than a South-Eastern European country.

Regional cooperation is, nevertheless, a major condition for most of these countries as regards their development, their international position and security, and, above all, their accession to European and Euro-Atlantic integrations. The Declaration of the Ministerial Conference of Countries of South-East Europe held at Thessaloniki in July 1997, therefore states: "The European orientation of the states of the region is an integral part of their political, economic and social development. The countries of South-East Europe look forward to taking actively part in shaping of future developments both in the region and in Europe as a whole. European integration can not be complete without their participation based on the same European principles that helped to establish and develop what is today the European Union." Among the South-East European countries only Greece is a fully integrated in NATO and the EU; Turkey is a member of NATO and an associate-member of the EU (without prospect of becoming a full member in the near future), whereas the status of all the other countries vary, with only a few qualifying for the first round of NATO (Hungary) and the EU enlargement (Hungary and Slovenia). Slovenia, Romania and possibly Bulgaria have prospects to enter NATO's in the second round (if there will be one), whereas the prospects of the remaining countries are indefinite. The enlargement of NATO and the EU and their current reforms shall, however, have major consequences on all the South-East European countries, so that regional cooperation might possibly be the only option, at least till the time they became eligible for the membership in Union and NATO. Most of these countries lack the economic resources and strong internal markets to support development of their national economies and make them attractive for the foreign investments. With the disappearance of bipolarism and the disintegration of former Yugoslavia, many countries of the region have, moreover, found themselves in a "security vacuum" and up against social and political problems requiring multilateral action for their solution. They are directed in the same course by the European and Euro-Atlantic organizations requesting from the candidates for membership to ensure peaceful and stable relations in their neighborhoods and to find solutions to open ethnic and territorial disputes.

Due to its central geographic location in the Balkans, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have a particular interest in various forms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the Balkans. For Yugoslavia regional cooperation can be the answer to many of its present problems - from the security, new foreign policy and foreign economic agenda; the protection of Serbian and Montenegrin minorities abroad and the settlement of open ethnic and territorial disputes with new and old neighbors, up to the common approach towards European integrations. Yugoslav political circles developed two main standpoints on regional cooperation. The first follows from the old idea "The Balkans To the Balkan Peoples" and sees Balkan integration as an goal in itself and even a kind of alternative to European integration which have, so far, hardly shown much interest and understanding for this region. Having developed as a backlash to the country's isolation and negative media coverage in the West, this standpoint had quite a large backing a few years ago but is now prevalent only in certain political circles. The other standpoint is a broader one considering Balkan cooperation rather as an intermediary step for these countries on their way towards European integration. This has become the predominant standpoint within the governing coalition as well as in opposition circles whilst it has also been adopted by the Yugoslav official policy apparent from how it was presented at the Balkan ministerial conferences and the standpoints that are expressed in their declarations. Despite the political will of most of the South-East European countries, the development of such regional cooperation shall, however, be rather slow and will necessitate considerable material and political backing from outside, primarily from the EU. Possible role of Yugoslavia in regional cooperation at this moment is hampered by the outer wall of sanctions still being levied against her and had prevented her participation in SECI and other regional initiatives. Without Yugoslavia, however, it would be difficult to develop any form of regional cooperation in South-Eastern Europe not merely because of her central geographic location and her size, but also because the pressing problems of the Balkans and the Danube region cannot be settled without her participation.

[1] Professor of International Political Relations at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, SCG
e-mail: psimic@EUnet.yu

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