EU's Buzek says eurozone crisis not to harm enlargement

(SARAJEVO) - European Parliament head Jerzy Buzek said here Friday that current difficulties in eurozone should not affect EU enlargement to Western Balkan countries.

"Current difficulties in the eurozone should not disturb in any way any enlargement policy," Buzek told journalists in the Bosnian capital.

Buzek said that "Greece -- because it is the main reason for trouble and discrepancy in the eurozone from financial point of view -- presents less than two percent of gross domestic product (GDP)" of the zone.

"From this point of view, the situation is not dangerous for any decision connected to enlargement," Buzek said.

The European Union would like to have all Western Balkan countries as its members, Buzek said, but added that it should be done "case by case, country by country, because you (the countries) must be prepared."

Western Balkan countries include all former Yugoslavia's republics -- Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, plus Slovenia which joined the EU in 2004 -- -- and Albania. They are in different phases on their EU path.

The most advanced is Croatia, set to become the bloc's newest member in 2013.

The European Commission proposed in October to open accession talks with Montenegro and give candidate status to Serbia under condition that Belgrade makes progress in normalising ties with breakaway Kosovo.

EU leaders should decide on the recommendation at their December 9 summit.

Bosnia is trailing behind the others, having made no progress as political and ethnic disputes mean it has had no central government to implement EU-sought reforms for more than a year.