Lithuania’s interests in the western Balkans and EU enlargement perspective

Due to geographic proximity and strategic position, the stability of the Western Balkans is crucial for the Euro-Atlantic area. However, the recent decline of democracy, mounting social and ethnic tensions, as well as the potentially destructive activities of external actors (mainly Russia and China, but also Turkey, and the UAE) are becoming more and more alarming. Not surprisingly, the recent EU discourse calls for renewed engagement in the Western Balkans and stresses the joint security challenges that need to be urgently addressed. For Lithuania, this region is particularly important because of significant political involvement of actors that are key to its foreign policy (e.g., Russia and the USA). Moreover, instability in the Balkans would inevitably weaken the EU and NATO, and result in less energy and attention to the Eastern Partnership countries prioritized by Lithuania.