| The head of the German newspaper publishing concern Wazmediagroup, Bodo Hombach, was the coordinator of the Balkan Stability Pact from 1999 to 2002. He is also a close friend of Djindjic. The Serb was even a witness at the German's wedding. Berlin special correspondent of the Vremya Novostey newspaper Yuri Shpakov talks with Bodo HOMBACH.
- What will change in the Balkans after the murder of Djindjic?
- It’s impossible to say. It is these days that voices are more clearly heard in Belgrade calling on democrats to unite and stop petty inter-party disputes. After all, the democratic movement in Serbia is fragmented. On the other hand, what happened could completely paralyze the democratic movement and lead it to stagnation. Just ten days ago I met with Djindjic and his family in Frankfurt am Main. He was somewhat concerned and even saddened by the sluggish economic recovery in his country. He understood that discontent was growing among the people, and this created a breeding ground for those who dreamed of revenge and restoration of the previous regime.
-What brought him to Frankfurt?
-- Djindjic held a major fundraising event to restore the interior of the Orthodox church. He asked me for support too. I agreed, but allowed the question: “Do you really need all this?” He replied that he should pay more attention to the consolidation of society, and this action is for this. He saw where the threat to democracy in the former Yugoslavia was coming from. We also talked about the problems of protecting senior politicians. I, perhaps better than many, know the severity of this problem in the Balkans. There you can protect the car and its windows. But no defense will help against killer snipers. This is terrible, and Djindjic and I talked about this in what turned out to be his last days.
- Did he talk about his plans?
- He saw the main task in establishing public consensus. I often convinced him of the need for more coordinated work with Kostunica in order to become one team: “After all, you, Zoran, are a confident reformer, and Kostunica has the gift of influencing the souls of people.” However, both remained irreconcilable people. It's a pity!
— Has the West lost a reliable ally in the Balkans?
- The West, the Balkans and the rest of the world have lost a convinced and proven democrat. Fighting the Milosevic regime from afar is much easier than confronting it face to face every day, like Djindjic. I lost a great friend.
- But the West has to some extent abandoned the Balkans to the mercy of fate?
- Such a problem exists. I encountered a cool attitude, primarily from European officials, towards the problems of the region when I was still the coordinator of the Stability Pact. I sadly joked that my battlefield for the Balkans was Brussels. This region, if we want to see it prosper, must be integrated as closely as possible into a united Europe. There should not be a single meeting of European foreign ministers in Brussels without the participation of colleagues from the former Yugoslavia. There cannot be a single OSCE meeting without the Balkans on the agenda. This has been largely missed lately.
- Are we going to the Balkans today?
- Until there is peace in the Balkans, Europe cannot feel safe. Just because CNN TV crews moved from the Balkans to Iraq does not mean that everything is fine in the Balkans. This region should under no circumstances be lost sight of. Although, compared to the Middle East, things are better in the Balkans. But the conflict potential there is high - take Kosovo, for example. But armed groups are also “walking” through the forests of Macedonia.
-- The Balkans are called “the powder keg of Europe.” Is this fair?
- It was fair on the eve of the First World War, which began in the Balkans. Now I wouldn't use that comparison. But there is still enough “gunpowder” there to complicate the situation even outside the region. We must intensify efforts to restore the economies of the Balkan countries. It is very important to bring this region as close as possible to the European economy and infrastructure. We call this the “Europeanization” of the Balkans; this is an important point on the path to democratization. It is important that members of the Stability Pact are not only EU countries, but also Russia. We now have joint responsibility in the Balkans. I would like to emphasize Russia's stabilizing role in this region. Those who recall the long-ago struggle for the Balkans between the West and the East are wrong. We have a shared responsibility. Interviewed by Yuri Shpakov
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