At a meeting of the Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, held in Luxembourg today, 21 April, under Estonia’s chairmanship, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stressed that the European Union must move forward rapidly with enlargement in order to strengthen its long-term security and economic resilience, and should make use of the opportunity that has hopefully arisen following the recent elections in Hungary.
The meeting, held under Estonia’s chairmanship of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation format (NB8) this year, brought together Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.
“EU enlargement has long been held back primarily by Hungary’s opposition. Now that elections have recently taken place in Hungary, there is hope of giving fresh momentum to the enlargement process,” Foreign Minister Tsahkna said.
“Estonia will soon mark 22 years as a member of the EU, and our experience shows that membership brings positive changes for countries joining the Union. At the same time, it must be emphasised that enlargement is also important for the EU itself and for its current member states, as it expands the single market, creates better economic opportunities for member states, and strengthens the EU’s global influence,” Tsahkna added.
“EU enlargement also has a security dimension. We must ensure that countries committed to democratic values and the rule of law can join the EU and do not remain in a so-called grey zone in our neighbourhood. Enlargement is the EU’s most effective policy tool and must be used,” Tsahkna said.
According to the foreign minister, the EU must openly discuss how to advance enlargement swiftly, starting with the opening of the first negotiating chapters with Ukraine and Moldova, both of which have carried out the necessary reforms with determination.
The meeting with Commissioner Kos took place ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg today, where discussions will focus on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, Sudan and the South Caucasus.
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