Slovenian President Borut Pahor stated that the Western world made a mistake by not reacting to the annexation of Crimea and said, “I think we made a mistake after the annexation of Crimea. There were some sanctions, it’s true, but that’s all. It was not a radical sanctions package. ) It was a false signal for Putin that if he did what he wanted, he could get negligible results.” said.
Pahor, who came to Ankara as part of his official visit, made evaluations to the AA correspondent on bilateral relations, regional issues and global developments.
Pahor used in his speech at the 13th Ambassadors Conference, “The EU and the West must bear the burden of the war in Ukraine and take steps to solve these problems.” clarified his statements.
Expressing that the spirit of unity shown by the West against the war made him happy, Pahor said, “I think we made a mistake after the annexation of Crimea. There were some sanctions, it’s true, but that’s all. It was not a radical sanctions package. This was (Russian President Vladimir) It was a false signal for Putin that if he did what he wanted, he could get trivial results, so we wanted not to repeat that mistake on February 24.” he said.
Pointing out that with the start of the Ukraine war, tougher sanctions packages were put into practice against Russia, Pahor said, “We put forward a tougher package of sanctions and preserved our unity. True, I used these expressions (expressions at the Conference). Here we have a big burden on our shoulders, but we are in solidarity.” made its assessment.
Stating that Ukraine is not left alone by the West, Pahor said, “President Putin did not expect us to be like this.” said.
Noting that he did not expect a war decision from Putin, Pahor said, “I was surprised and disappointed because as a Prime Minister and President, I worked hard to have better relations with Putin.” he said.
Noting that the West should do everything it can so that Ukraine is not left alone against Russia, Pahor said:
“We must help and be vigilant in order to achieve a just peace. At this point, I don’t think there will be such a peace, but it will happen. I hope it will happen soon. At the moment, we only have to follow the political will of Ukraine, the Ukrainian government and the President. However, when the opportunity arises, we must also try to find a just peace.” We must not miss the opportunity of peace.”
– “SOME COUNTRIES UNDER DIRECT PRESSURE FROM RUSSIA”
Emphasizing that they are united against the war, Pahor said, “This is the only thing we can do right now. We don’t have many options. We must support the Ukrainian government, President and people on the path of just peace, which should be our ultimate goal, to preserve their sovereignty in the face of this aggression. Afterwards, we must support both sides. We must persuade their efforts to resolve this issue peacefully.” made its assessment.
Stating that the Balkans had suffered from similar conflicts, Pahor said that he had been trying to draw the attention of his counterparts in NATO and the EU to the events in the Western Balkans for a long time.
“Some countries are under direct pressure from Russia,” Pahor said. he said.
Emphasizing that Serbia is under great pressure to implement the sanctions of the Western Bloc and the EU, Pahor reminded that Serbia’s EU membership process continues and argued that the EU accession process of the Western Balkan countries should be accelerated.
Pahor stated that he attaches importance to EU membership in terms of showing which side all countries, including Serbia, stand, “If Serbia chooses to stand on the other side, the future of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina may gain a different momentum.” said.
Stating that he wants to see all Western Balkan countries in the EU as soon as possible, Pahor said, “The only solution is to speed up the EU membership process. I think the EU should do more. We see a similar process in the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, some ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the elections are anxiously awaited. “The only way to solve these problems in the long run is to speed up the EU membership process.” used his statements.
– “WEST BALKANS WILL BE EXPOSED TO MORE RUSSIA IF NATO CONTINUES TO WAIT”
Pahor stated that there should be a similar acceleration in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to NATO, and continued as follows:
“I want Bosnia and Herzegovina to become the next NATO member. Bosnia’s NATO membership is important for the change in developments in the Western Balkans.”
Noting that he is also working to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina the status of a candidate country to the EU until the end of the year, Pahor emphasized the importance of the start of negotiations between North Macedonia and Albania for the Western Balkans.
Noting that there are opportunities as well as problems in the Western Balkans, Pahor said, “The region will either go to one side or the other. At this point, what NATO will do is of great importance. If it continues to wait, the Western Balkans will be exposed to more Russia and problems will arise. can come out.” he said.
– “THANK YOU THAT TURKEY IS A NATO COUNTRY”
Mentioning the strategic importance of Turkey, Pahor said that the Strategic Partnership Document signed between Turkey and Slovenia in 2011 indicates the importance that the two countries attach to each other.
Recalling the ongoing negotiations between Turkey and the EU, Pahor said, “I know that it is progressing slowly at the moment. However, I think it is important to keep Turkey as close to us as possible. At the moment, there are very good relations between Turkey and Brussels. Your President and the government act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. It’s doing an excellent job on the subject and I think we should be grateful to your government and the President for achieving some results here, not only for Europe but also for third countries.” used his statements.
Underlining that he supports the good level of EU-Turkey relations, Pahor said, “Turkey is very important. It is also very important geopolitically. Thank God, Turkey is a NATO country. Turkey, Sweden and Finland have signed an agreement on the membership of the two countries,” said Pahor. I care about its future.” made its assessment.
Noting that the parties should maintain good relations even though they have different views, Pahor said, “I do not underestimate Turkey’s role. Nobody underestimates Turkey’s role. There is a debate about democracy, law and free media, but this is not just a debate between Turkey and the EU, but also the EU. It is also a matter of debate within the EU.” said.
Noting that fair sharing is important for a peaceful Europe, Pahor emphasized that Turkey deserves this sharing as well.
– “A PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BELGRADE AND PRISTINA IS IMPORTANT FOR THE WHOLE REGION, NOT JUST THE TWO COUNTRIES”
Pahor said the following about resolving unresolved issues between some countries, such as the tension between Kosovo and Serbia, to the satisfaction of all parties:
“I support the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia from the very beginning. It is a difficult issue, but right now there is a huge trust problem between the parties. I am in contact with both sides and I see how difficult it is with this lack of trust. There has been an incident recently that we fear will grow even more. . If there is no strong dialogue, there is always the risk of events that may increase the tension. There is no strong dialogue at the moment. I try to encourage the parties to do their best because a peace agreement to be made between Belgrade and Pristina is not only for the two countries, but for the whole region. It is also important for peace and stability.”
Recalling that they started the Brdo-Brijuni process to increase dialogue in the Western Balkans, Pahor said:
“In mid-September, the leaders of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania will meet. So far, all have reported their participation. Here I will do my best to achieve a reconciliation and peace and security in the Western Balkans, with the EU. I will do this with the desire to continue negotiations as quickly as possible.”