European Leaders on Refugee Route Pledge Cooperation

After the conference, Biden told reporters that integrating the region fully within the European Union would be the ultimate guarantee of stability in the region, and stability of Europe as a whole.

Biden will also meet in Zagreb with European Council President Donald Tusk to discuss the migration crisis, the fight against extremism, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, energy and trade.

Biden’s attendance at the meeting of presidents in Zagreb was seen as highlighting Washington’s renewed interest in the fragile Western Balkans as the region deals with an unprecedented influx of refugees and other migrants. The move came after the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 raised security concerns across Europe. Slovenia has started to erect a razor wire fence along its border with Croatia to aid these efforts but Slovenian President Borut Pahor said getting an agreement with its southern neighbor should be its main priority.

Southeast and central European leaders have pledged closer cooperation on combating terrorism and dealing with the regional refugee crisis that has overwhelmed the European Union.

The U.S. strongly support Montenegro’s membership of NATO, Biden added. But Biden said: “Our presence is not a return, we never left”.

Biden said it is important that the entire region eventually be integrated within the EU.

In the past week, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Macedonia have all announced new restrictions to allow only what they call war-zone refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to move through their countries. Managing the massive refugee flow has proved a major political and security challenge for the countries on the migrant route – and Europe’s inability to agree on a common policy toward the surge has made the situation worse.

Slovenia wants to limit the flow on the Balkans route so the country can re-establish a normal functioning of the passport-free Schengen system of border controls.