Landsbergis tells Members of the European Parliament: “We must deliver on what we promised and start EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova as soon as possible - in June, at the very latest”
Today, on 19 March, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, debated the future of EU enlargement with MEPs on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“I therefore call on the EU institutions to deliver on what we promised and to start EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova as soon as possible - in June, at the very latest,” Landsbergis told MEPs.
In his speech, the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy also emphasized that the EU enlargement was an important investment into security, stability and peace. Landsbergis also drew the attention of MEPs to the fact that the EU enlargement was once again becoming a moving target and a tool for some of the EU member states, or their political actors, to solve their outstanding bilateral issues with candidate countries.
“The enlargement process should be objective and merit-based. We must be objective while pursuing it. The first issue is that new “homework” elements are being added on the way, and some old “skeletons” reappear repeatedly and are being brought to daylight at the very last minute. It resembles blackmail, despite Ukraine’s openness to solve objectively existing issues,” said Landsbergis.
Speech by Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs: Committee on Foreign Affairs - Multimedia Centre (europa.eu)
Photos: The European Parliament
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