Rapid EU entry of western Balkan countries urged at Warsaw summit
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
29.11.2016 15:30
Visegrad Group foreign ministers meeting at a summit in Warsaw on Tuesday argued for the rapid expansion of the EU to include six western Balkan countries.
Family photo of the V4 foreign ministers, representatives of the western Balkan states, and Federica Mogherini in Warsaw on Tuesday. Photo: Twitter.com/@MSZ_RP
The foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic – met EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to discuss challenges faced by the European Union.
At a press conference following the meeting, the ministers said that they support the EU aspirations of six western Balkan countries – Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
“The process of European integration contributes to the security and development of the whole continent,” said Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski.
“That is why we are sharing our experience from the time of our political transformation [after the collapse of communism], and our accession to both the EU and NATO with the western Balkan countries,” Waszczykowski said.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said it was important to accelerate the enlargement process of the EU, currently made up of 28 countries.
“The President of the European Commission has said that there will be no further enlargement of the EU in the next five years. We do not agree. We not only think that the Union should be expanded over the next five years, but we say the EU should be expanded immediately,” Szijjártó said, adding that this would be "the most important tool to strengthen the EU anew”.
As well as the Visegrad Group and the six Western Balkan countries, Poland invited six EU members that are regional neighbours to Tuesday’s summit: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and Italy. (rg/pk)
Source: PAP