European Union(EU) membership prospects would make the Balkans securer and the countries in the region should strengthen cooperation in an effort to achieve the goal, Corina Cretu, European Commissioner for Regional Policy said on Thursday.

The Balkans has an opportunity to transform from a powder keg to an advanced region by joining in the EU, Cretu said in Croatian coast city of Dubrovnik where she attended the first Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), organized by the European Commission and Croatian government.

Cretu said that cooperation within the region was vital, particularly in resolving issues such as security, climate change and innovations.

The conference also focused on migrant crisis faced by the region and Europe overall and participants called for stronger cooperation to deal with it.

The conference was attended by leaders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

Source: XINHUA