US Embassy in Serbia

Gabriel Eskobar, the special American envoy for the Western Balkans, stated that Montenegro does not need to make immediate decisions regarding joining the open Balkans, but rather should focus on addressing the current crisis.

“Let me be clear: there’s no need for a decision at this moment. There’s time for an in-depth discussion about this in the future. Right now, we must focus on actions that resolve the crisis,” Eskobar said in an interview with the agency Mines.

Eskobar emphasized that the initiative surrounding the open Balkans is a matter that should ultimately be determined by the citizens of Montenegro, either through a referendum or by elected representatives with a clear mandate from voters.

The United States has highlighted its support for all regional economic integration initiatives, but stated that this backing hinges on two primary conditions.

“The first condition is that the initiative must align with the European Union member states and should not conflict with their European commitments within the Berlin process or any other European-led initiative. The second condition is that all Western Balkan countries should be able to participate in that initiative as full members,” he specified.

If either of these conditions is not met, he indicated that the U.S. would reconsider its support for the open Balkans initiative.