Skopje, 29 September 2021 (MIA) – As long as the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, is visiting and expressing unequivocal support for EU enlargement with the Western Balkan countries, all we need to do is keep working to convince them we deserve to be part of the bloc, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Wednesday. Appearing on Morning Briefing TV show, Osmani commented on the alleged draft-declaration for the EU-Western Balkans summit next month in Slovenia, claiming “the EU can no longer agree to give a guarantee of future membership to the six Balkan countries.” “During preparations of the EU bodies for a joint declaration due to be adopted at the October summit, a dilemma emerged whether the summit is at all about enlargement and whether ‘enlargement’ should appear in the document. Some have been interpreting as further encouraging Euroscepticism in some countries, which is nothing new. Others have been interpreting as defining the coming summit, whether it is a summit about enlargement or a summit in which the EU’s focus toward the Western Balkans is promoted,” he said. Regardless of which option is being pushed, the Minister noted, the message isn’t good as regards EU’s unity in its relationship with the Western Balkans, which again is nothing new. “There are member countries that believe the EU is already facing difficulties to function even without six new members,” said Osmani. It’s a good thing, however, he stated, that the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans will sit at the same table in Slovenia to revisit the region’s perspectives. Regardless of some parts of the draft-document, according to the top diplomat, it still notes that the EU is committed to the region joining the bloc. “As long as the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, is visiting and expressing unequivocal support for EU enlargement with the Western Balkan countries, all we need to do is keep working, to prove and to convince them we deserve to be part of the bloc,” FM Osmani said.