Pan-regional cooperation in the Balkans – a mere 20 years ago such an idea seemed utopian. A wide gulf separated the countries of the region – some were members of the Warsaw Pact, others of NATO. Yugoslavia was still in existence and headed the Non-Aligned Movement; Albania was a country living in self-imposed isolation. What was inconceivable yesterday is today indispensable, says in an interview for Radio Bulgaria Lyubomir Kyuchukov, Director of the Economics and International Relations Institute.

“The start to regional cooperation was given in a situation that was extremely volatile – a time of crisis, wars, the break-up of the former Yugoslavia,” Lyubomir Kyuchukov says. “On Bulgaria’s initiative, after 1996, when the First Ministerial Conference with the participation of foreign ministers took place in Sofia, the start was given to the construction of a network of regional cooperation structures of all kinds. Starting with the Southeast Europe Cooperation Process – the political umbrella organization to all of these structures - going on to the Regional Cooperation Council which serves as liaison with the EU, different sector organizations, business, media, research institutions and ending with the non-governmental sector. What was in fact created, was what in Bulgaria’s concept could be termed as “creating a network of networks” in the Balkans. But what is most important of all is the emergence of a sense of “regional belonging”. We now have sufficient reason to say that the Balkans are a region, in the political sense of the word.”

Meanwhile a great many of the countries in the region have joined the EU and NATO. Now, the next step has to be taken – drawing a new outline of cooperation, on the analogy of the Visegrad Four – the group set up in 1991 and comprising three post-communist Central European states - Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary; after the “velvet divorce” between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, their number increased to four. At the time of the Prime Ministers’ meeting in Krakow on 5, October, 1991, five priority fields of mutual cooperation were defined: foreign policy, economy, transport, environment and science. This is not the first time the idea of establishing a Visegrad group on the Balkans is being publicly discussed.

“In point of fact, these are processes taking place not in the Balkans but in Europe,” Lyubomir Kyuchukov goes on to say. “When we say B 5, or Balkans 5, we mean the countries which are members of the EU and NATO – Greece, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia. What is most important of all is that this should not be a closed group but a format open to new members – every country joining the EU should also become a member of the B 5 if it wishes to. There should be no accession procedures or right of veto on the part of any of the founder members.”

There is a single, clear-cut criterion for membership of the B 5 – membership of both the EU and NATO. The activities of the Visegrad four as well as the traditions of multilateral cooperation within the Southeast Europe Cooperation Process have shown that such a streamlined, from an organizational point of view, form is both feasible and efficient. In terms of contents, B 5 would be a platform for consultations, coordination and cooperation – within the frameworks of the EU, based on the principles of the EU, in the interest of the countries involved in this platform, but also of all countries in the Balkans and the EU as a whole. Pooling efforts in spheres like power generation, infrastructure, environment, transport, communications, culture and many others where problems overstep national borders and effective solutions can be sought at a regional level, while observing national specifics and priorities – that is what would help attain shared objectives. B 5 should not be regarded as an exclusive format; it would by no means draw any lines of division across the region. Quite the opposite – it would be a way to substantivate the common effort by uniting the countries that have already become members of the EU and of NATO. And to assist those who are yet to cover the membership criteria. By setting up a B 5 group, the Balkans would be taking a big stride forward in cooperation – a transition from “cooperation within the region” to “cooperation for the region”; it could also represent the Balkans in Brussels and uphold regional interests in the Euroatlantic structures. In 1996, Bulgaria played a key role in the launch and structuring of regional cooperation in the Balkans. Perhaps the time has now come to put forward, discuss and take the next logical step in streamlining the architecture of multilateral cooperation in the region – the establishment of a Balkan Visegrad.

English version: Milena Daynova