Petr Pavel referrs to expansion of EU as geopolitical necessity
Photo: President of Czechia Petr Pavel (Getty Images)
President of Czechia Petr Pavel has supported the expansion of the European Union and called it a geopolitical necessity, reports Novinky.
He warned that Europe should not force Moldova and Georgia to wait for too long and leave them at the mercy of Russia.
However, according to the president, Europe must prepare for expansion.
"The EU cannot function equally with 12 or 35 members. Modernizing the EU is a necessary step," he added.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are official candidate countries. Negotiations have begun with Montenegro and Serbia on several chapters, negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia will start in July 2022, and Kosovo applied for membership in December 2022.
Ukraine's EU accession
On December 14, 2023, at the summit in Brussels, the European Council approved the start of negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU. This significant step marks Ukraine's progress towards closer integration with Europe.
In June 2023, Ukraine was granted candidate status for EU membership. However, to become a full member, it needed to fulfill several conditions.
The start of accession negotiations is a significant step, but it is only the beginning of a long and complex process. Ukraine must meet numerous requirements before it can become an EU member.
Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna expressed satisfaction that Ukraine had managed to fulfill two of the seven conditions necessary to start negotiations for EU accession.
