Moscow's influence will lag West's in Balkans
2015; Emerald Publishing Limited; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1108/oxan-db200267
ISSN2633-304X
Tópico(s)European Politics and Security
ResumoSubject The vicissitudes of Russian influence in the Balkans. Significance Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused NATO members Albania and Bulgaria of conspiring to partition neighbouring Macedonia. His statement in the Russian parliament on May 20 caused a stir in relations with Sofia and Tirana, with respective Foreign Ministers Daniel Mitov and Ditmir Bushati each calling it "irresponsible" and "unacceptable". This follows setbacks for Moscow such as Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's visit to the United States, meeting Vice President Joe Biden; and Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's acceptance of the European Commission as mediator in the political crisis. Impacts If pushed harder, Balkan states will choose the West over Russia, as the recalibration in Serbian and Macedonian foreign policies suggests. However, this does not mean that Moscow will lose all leverage. All things being equal, local elites will continue to look to the Kremlin for business and diplomatic opportunities.
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