Mr. Sarrazin, as the Federal Government's Commissioner for the Western Balkans, you took up a newly created post on March 1st.

Does Berlin fear that Russia also wants to start a war in the Balkans?

Michael Martens

Correspondent for Southeast European countries based in Vienna.

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The creation of this post is a sign from the Federal Government that enlargement policy and German cooperation with the countries of the Western Balkans will be one of the priorities of our foreign policy in the coming years.

This post has been in the planning for some time and was not created in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine didn't just start last week.

Irrespective of this, the federal government intended to devote the utmost attention to the Western Balkans.

According to a statement from the Russian Embassy in Sarajevo, Milorad Dodik, the President of the Bosnian Serbs, has agreed with Putin's Foreign Minister Lavrov to quickly implement unspecified "agreements" that Dodik and Putin reached at a meeting in Moscow in December.

Are you expecting Bosnian-Serb interference?

I can't look inside the heads of the actors, but it's particularly important these days that we get our own message across.

Therefore it is good if the EU underlines its determination that the countries of the Western Balkans have their future in the EU.

An untouched statehood of Bosnia-Hercegovina is essential for this.

Question: Serbia is a candidate for EU membership, but has declared that it will not support EU sanctions against Russia.

What follows?

It should be clear to everyone these days that this is a bad time to remain undecided.

I suspect that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also sees that the Russian option is not attractive.

In times like these, if a candidate country decides to circumvent EU sanctions, isn't that a decision in favor of the Russian option?

It is in Serbia's interest to take a clear stand.

Ukraine shows what can happen when you trust Russia's words.

I think that is clear to everyone in Belgrade.

It is important for the EU that we clearly formulate our expectations of Serbia.

The accession process was a key tool for the EU to exert influence in the region.

But for good reason, no one in the Western Balkans believes in it anymore.

Do you have any ideas how the process could be revived?

I believe in the accession process and future accession of the Western Balkans to the EU.

We must now quickly strengthen this procedure by finally moving forward again.

It is also my job to show that Germany will support this with even more commitment.

The question of whether certain steps can be brought forward within this accession process or whether certain "high-speed lanes" can be set up is an interesting debate among experts.

However, such ideas must not end up weakening the accession process and we should actually not be talking about concepts of a privileged partnership.

It is extremely important that the EU sticks to an accession process leading to full membership, because this is not just about economic integration,

What can you do specifically to revive the process?

The EU perspective is the most powerful tool we have in the region to accompany peaceful reform processes.

But she isn't anymore, as states know they won't be admitted anyway.

We should not abandon this tool.

After Russia's suspension, the Council of Europe would probably have the two-thirds majority needed to admit Kosovo.

Should Germany support that?

Germany recognized Kosovo.

Of course, we are committed to ensuring that a state recognized by us is represented in international organizations.

Especially if these, like the Council of Europe, mean increased legal protection for the citizens, including the minorities in Kosovo.

Of course, the Kosovan government has to find out when the right moment for an application is.

This interview may only be published after approval of each individual answer by the Federal Foreign Office.

How much independent creative freedom do you actually have as a special representative?

We in the Federal Government agree on the task that I have as a special envoy.

Together with my colleagues at the Federal Foreign Office, I will do my best to fulfill it.

I have no doubt that I have the necessary creative freedom to do this.