FM: EU needs Western Balkans more than they need us
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that one of the roots of the EU’s “many ailments” was the “failure of the enlargement process”.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that one of the roots of the EU’s “many ailments” was the “failure of the enlargement process”.
The foreign minister said that Europe was facing “grave security, economic and energy supply crises” because of the sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the war in Ukraine.
During a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said ministers reviewed the state of strengthening defenses of the alliance’s eastern flank.
The president said the integration of the Western Balkans was in the interest of all of Europe.
President Novák welcomed that Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted an EU candidate status in December last year.
The defense minister said the security of the Western Balkans is a guarantee for Hungarians’ security and the UK has also maintained a strategic interest in it for a long time.
PM Orbán said he would represent a “firm and strong position” as regards the Western Balkan countries’ EU integration.
Olivér Várhelyi said there's a new European proposal to spend 2.5 billion euros on building a completely new energy network in the region.
The foreign minister warned that the EU should speed up the process after being “weakened by recent security crises”.
The foreign minister said European security and economic competitiveness would improve with the integration of the Western Balkans.
The foreign minister said the “unacceptably” slow integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is a “strategic mistake” and a risk to regional stability.