BALKANLAR - Deneme Sınavı - 7

The region consisting of Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and Albania, which are the countries that left the Former Yugoslavia, except Slovenia, are called the Western Balkans by the EU.

The EU aimed to keep the membership motivations of the Balkan countries alive by organizing the Berlin Process in 2014 initiated by Germany, Austria, Croatia, France, Italy, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and Poland and supporting the continuation of enlargement.

Greece prevented Macedonia, which declared its independence in 1991, from establishing close relations with the EU.

As of September 2020, 117 countries in the world recognize Kosovo, while  Russia and China, which are permanent members of the UN Security Council, do not recognize Kosovo.

The countries that have made the least progress in their relations with the EU in the Western Balkans and have not yet started negotiations are the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo

The United Kingdom has strongly supported both enlargement and reform in the region as many member states have become critical of enlargement. Along with Germany, it has been the only major EU country in the last decade that has driven the region to form EU policy.

Despite the serious objections from the two UN Security Council members, Russia and China, the U.S led a military campaign against Serbia under the institutional umbrella of NATO.

Kosovo has been the place where the US-centered new Balkan structuring came to the fore.

The “Humanitarian Intervention Concept” is a doctrine developed by the UN Security Council. Within the scope of this doctrine, if advanced human rights such as genocide, forced migration, civil war, military coup or famine occur in any state, coercive measures, including military intervention can be taken to end this situation.

Russia has started to attach more importance to the Balkans both to prevent Europe from increasing its encirclement and to strengthen its Eurasian policy. It tries to make an impact by supporting nationalist parties and the far right in troubled countries such as Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, and at least tries not to lose its influence in these countries.

Currently, one of China’s most important allies in the Balkans is Serbia.

All options are true according to the Introduction section (p. 147) except the correct answer. On second paragraph, it is given that “In today’s globalization process where inter-communal interactions and interdependence are increasing, there is no institutional mechanism by which Balkan countries can ensure their common security interests.” which is opposite of the correct option. Thus, the correct option is false.  (1  Analyse the Bosnia-Serbia War)

In these countries, it is aimed to create a civil democratic structure with a power-sharing model based on four basic mechanisms: grand coalition, minority veto, proportional representation and local autonomy.

However, ethnic identities are still the main factor in determining political preferences, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia.

High unemployment rate in the region is still very high. Kosovo has the highest unemployment rate in Europe, at 25.3%.

Piran Bay: The disputed maritime delimitation area is located in the northernmost part of the Adriatic Sea which is embraced by three countries— Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia—and is called the Trieste Bay. Since the border between Slovenia and Croatia, which became independent after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991, was not determined in detail before independence, many parts of the border remained controversial in Piran Bay and turned into a serious conflict between the two countries.

The EU evaluates the Balkan geography by dividing it into two parts as East and West. After Greece, the goal of integration with the Eastern Balkans was achieved with the membership of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. After the period of wars in the former Yugoslavia, the European Union developed a new strategy called the Western Balkans in order to ensure stability and security in this region and to integrate the region into the EU gradually. The region consisting of Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo and Albania, which are the countries that left the Former Yugoslavia, except Slovenia, are called the Western Balkans by the EU.

Croatia applied for EU membership in 2003 and was in negotiations from 2005 until 2011. On 9 December 2011 leaders from the EU and Croatia signed the accession treaty. The country became the 28th EU member country on 1 July 2013.

North Macedonia signed the Prespa Agreement with Greece in 2018

Serbia, which started negotiations in 2015, has not been able to open new chapters since June 2019. It is certain that Serbia cannot become a member of the EU without normalizing relations with Kosovo.