Ohrid, 16 June 2022 (MIA) - Further development and integration of the region in the EU, along with the need to remove the obstacles for realization of set goals were in the focus of high-level session “What after the War in Ukraine” within the Prespa Forum Dialogue in Ohrid on Thursday. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said countries of the eastern flank are exposed to the malicious influence of Russian propaganda – Georgia, Moldova, Bosnia, but also Serbia and Kosovo. “They must recognize each other, otherwise there will be no breakthrough. Scholz paid a visit to Serbia and delivered the conditions at the first press conference – Serbia should recognize Kosovo in order to make life easier in the Western Balkans. Vucic said this has never been a condition but why now? To tell you the truth, this will not pass and it is not encouraging,” said Milanovic. Slovenia’s President Borut Pahor made a case for a candidate status given to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “As I see it, since the Councill will debate the candidate status of Ukraine and maybe even Moldova in a few days, a decision that I support, I would also like to see leaders talk about Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. The only thing they could do at this time is to forget about the 14 criteria that Bosnia is not able to meet in order to get the candidate status, but give the status and send a strong signal to Bosnia – OK, you are maybe moving slower than we wanted you to but we will no longer delay the decision, this is a geopolitical issue, so we should make something happen already,” said Pahor. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said a standstill in the Euro-integration process has caused frustration among the people in the region, noting the Kosovo has waited five years for the EU to give visa liberalization but to no avail until now. “This is an easy decision because we have met all criteria and there is absolutely no reason for the citizens of Kosovo to be kept in a ghetto. When it comes to the candidate status, I hope Kosovo will get it too. The bigger the vacuum the EU leaves in the Western Balkans, the bigger the influence coming from Russia and China in the region. The answer is simple – if you want to fight off Russia and the Chinese influence, recognize Kosovo and give it a candidate status alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, support North Macedonia and Albania on the path forward,” said Osmani. Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic said the war in Ukraine has sobered up the EU and everyone else, because it is an aggression against the European system of values. “Instead of acknowledging that EU and NATO, but EU first and foremost, hold the responsibility for the European future of every European region, we have a Union that is rethinking, which has shattered the system of values in the Western Balkans. I am certain we will need years to eliminate the consequences of the Russian hybrid war and destruction of the Western Balkans,” said Djukanovic.