US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said that Washington will not hesitate to impose sanctions on anyone who is corrupt and destabilizing to the region.

He told Montenegro’s MINA news agency that Western Balkan leaders have to meet the interests of their populations instead of their personal and party interests. He said that the US administration will not hesitate to use sanctions and other mechanisms to send a strong message, adding that Washington will be a partner to people who have a constructive, not a destructive approach to the future of the region which he said is characterized by membership in the European Union and NATO and dynamic and transparent economies.

Escobar said that it’s counterproductive for politicians and others to exploit identity issues to score political points at the expense of economic progress and regional reconciliation. He said that the most taxing part of his role is seeing the huge potential of the Western Balkans going to waste, adding that he believes the region has the capacity to become Europe’s economic engine.