The Balkans at the turn of the century: challenges for Greece and European Security Institutions

Abstract

The changes that occurred in the Balkans since 1991, following Soviet Union's dissolution and the breakup of Yugoslavia, revived the violent history of the Balkan Peninsula. The Kosovo war in 1998 aggravated the situation and increased fears among countries in the region for more ethnic strife, military operations and a massive exodus of refugees. As a Balkan country, Greece was affected by the evolving situation, which was reflected in its foreign security policy towards its northern neighbors during the 199Os. Greece has to redefine its role in the area and make use of its membership in both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) to facilitate stability in the Balkans and solve its security dilemmas with its northern neighbors. Security concerns reflect both the defense and economic aspect international relations. Political and economic stability are the primary goals of the Balkan states. These states cannot solve their problems without external help from Western European countries and European Security institutions, like the EU, NATO and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Inevitably the European security institutions' engagement in the Balkans raises questions of enlargement in the Balkans. However, enlargement for both EU and NATO involves more than simply accepting new members.