At a meeting today, 13 February, with Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who is visiting Estonia for the European Union enlargement conference, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that enlargement is essential for ensuring the Union’s own security, stability and prosperity, and that the EU must therefore use innovative tools to accelerate the enlargement process.
“Based on Estonia’s 22 years as a member of the European Union, we have first-hand experience of the transformative and po
sitive impact of membership for the acceding country. At the same time, we must remember that EU enlargement is beneficial for the EU itself and for its existing member states,” Tsahkna said.
“EU enlargement brings a larger single market and thereby improved economic prospects for member states, and makes the EU an even stronger global actor,” the foreign minister said. “It is in the EU’s security interest that there are no ‘grey zones’ in our neighbourhood, but that all countries adhering to democratic principles and the rule of law become part of the European Union.”
According to Tsahkna, it is in the EU’s strategic interest to move forward decisively wi
th enlargement as one of the Union’s most powerful policy instruments, and therefore there must be an open discussion on how to bring candidate countries into the Union more swiftly.
Speaking about Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession to the EU, Tsahkna said that both countries have demonstrated an exceptionally high level of commitment to reforms under very challenging circumstances. “The EU must respond to this progress with steps of its own,” Tsahkna said.
In addition to enlargement, the foreign minister and Commissioner Kos also discussed the proposal to ban entry to the Schengen area for those who have fought for Russia against Ukraine.
“Schengen member states must act together to ensure the long-term security of their societies. We cannot allow onto our territory individuals who have taken up arms against Ukraine, who have combat experience, including those sent to the front from prisons, and who are hostile towards Europe,” Tsahkna said.
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