'EU Family Not Complete Without Western Balkans', Says High Representative

Serbia is one of the Western Balkan nations (Image: PA).

The European Union "family" will not be complete until the Western Balkans join member states, according to High Representative of the Union Federica Mogherini.

Ministers have continued talks at the meeting of European Defence Ministers in the Austrian capital Vienna, where Britain’s commitment to joint operations has been on the agenda.

Defence ministers from across the European Union's 28 member states have been meeting since yesterday, where security issues and future development have been discussed.

Federica Mogherini said:

"I personally believe that Europe will not be completed, the European Union project will not be completed, until the Western Balkans will be part of our family.

"Geography, history and also economy tells us so and security, by the way, because just a few decades ago we cannot forget what happened there. So it is in our own interests to have the door open and have them join our family provided conditions are met."

In the years since the war in Kosovo, the Western Balkans have been perceived as an area of instability.

However, following intervention from NATO and security assistance from the EU, there is a suggestion that a period of partnership may be on the horizon.

Ministers have also been asked to discuss the European response to migration in the Mediterranean.

The response, Operation Sophia, is an EU naval operation against migrant smugglers and illegal arms movement around the Mediterranean.

On Thursday, Federica Mogherini said the operations have been successful:

"This has been a remarkable achievement for all the European Union and I think the results in terms of fighting trafficking and smuggling and lowering the number of arrivals has been obvious and also saving lives, which is not irrelevant for me at least.

"So I think this is the starting point, all member states agree that this must continue, we need to see how we can guarantee this."

No Mention Of Kosovo Border Shift

By Laura Makin-Isherwood

Rumours of a potential border change between Kosovo and Serbia created all kinds of reaction ahead of this 'informal' Defence Ministers meeting in Vienna.

While some claimed it could improve relations in the Western Balkans, some were less confident.

Former Lib Dem leader, Paddy Ashdown and two other former High Representatives for Bosnia and Herzegovina wrote a letter to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini underlining their concern about the idea, saying it would not improve relations in the Western Balkans but deepen them.

Did Ms Mogherini heed that warning? Whatever her opinion, she made no mention of a border move in Thursday's press conference.

Instead, she focused on the positives, saying that after decades of perceived instability in the Western Balkans the EU was entering a period of potential partnership.

Ms Mogherini's personal view is that Europe will not be complete without the Western Balkans becoming part of the "family". 

But that possibility is still years away. And with 30 ideas for consideration submitted to her at this meeting in Austria, who knows what shape those nations will be - politically or geographically - by then.