Alexandra Alexandrova

THE Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was adopted on June 10, 1999, at the EU's initiative, in the wake of the Kosovo crisis. In the founding document, more than 40 partner countries and organisations undertook to strengthen the countries of South Eastern Europe in their efforts to foster peace, democracy, respect for human rights and economic prosperity in order to achieve stability in the region.

Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, who attended the conference in Sofia, spoke to The Sofia Echo.


Mr Busek, although this is a regional conference, it also has international repercussions. Can the Balkans provide any alternative to initiatives by the international community and organisations such as NATO?

"I think it is not a matter of competition, but rather of co-operation. This is quite necessary because the problems concerning security, both on the military side and the civil side, can only be solved in a regional co-operation, in European co-operation and global co-operation. NATO fits into this and the Stability Pact fits into this, and the perspective of entering the European Union fits to this. Therefore this is a valuable contribution. Take the question of security. For the moment, it is a bigger problem than anything else, even as compared to political instability or ethnic cleansing. Security is quite more important, because it does a harm to the position of the region in the European and global public. I am fighting for investment in the region and security has been one of the main factors why we have a lot of problems to bring foreign investment here."


How do you assess the current situation in Macedonia?

"It's better to support the government in the effort to keep the things down and get the situation stable. We should not speak about a crisis, we should speak about solutions.

In comparison to other crises we have all over the world, the development in South-eastern Europe is quite a very good one. Do not forget that at the end of 1999 we were at the end of four wars and now it is 2003, and four years later we are sitting together on one table discussing our common future. It is not very helpful to mention always it is a region of crises. In comparison with the crises in Iraq, or the Middle East, the Balkans have achieved some development. The improvement of democracy is an irreversible process. The election results are fine, monitored by the OSCE, well, for sure, a better political system has to be developed, but this does not work from one day to the other. We need improvement of infrastructure by regional co-operation and, for sure, investment, investment, investment to get a better economic situation."


Why, then, do many analysts say the Stability Pact does not work?

"From the infrastructure projects, 73 per cent are under construction and, I think, if somebody is able to do a bridge over the river Danube or build up a highway in two months I will certainly congratulate him. I think everything needs some time, yet, in general, the evaluation of stability is a very positive one. There are some unsolved problems, that's for sure - Kosovo and to a minor extent Bosnia and Herzegovina, but this is an internal matter. We need a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina for Kosovo and we need a closer co-operation between the parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We can only assist in that, which we do.


How do you assess Bulgaria's prospects to join the European Union?

"If Bulgaria is developing very well, achieving the criteria of EU, that would be a big contribution. For me Bulgaria is one of the stable points in this development, on which you can trust, and you have to keep that direction."