Gabriel Escobar (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/EV)
Gabriel Escobar, a senior official at the U.S. Department of State, said on Aug. 26 that corruption was a huge issue across the region and that this was why Washington wanted to see the European path open for all countries in the Western Balkans.
"What I can say is that for the region, for the whole region, corruption is an enormous problem. And I am happy to see that the accession process makes a central feature of the application of rule of law [as] a requirement for entry" into the European Union, Escobar said in a video interview with the North Macedonian 360 stepeni website. He stressed that there was another reason why the U.S. wanted to see the European path clear for all nations in the region.
"Every country that has entered the European Union is more stable, more democratic and more prosperous, and at the same time more equitable in terms of justice for its citizens. So that is another reason why we would like to see you on the path to European membership," the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state said.
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