Borrell, in connection with 20th anniversary of EU enlargement: Ukraine has historic window of opportunity to strongly bind its future to EU
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the largest wave of enlargement in the history of the European Union, High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, issued a statement stating that Ukraine and other candidate countries have a historic opportunity to link their future with the EU.
The text of the statement was released in Brussels by the EU diplomatic service (EEAS) on Wednesday.
As it is known, twenty years ago, at a ceremony in Strasbourg on May 1, 2004, the heads of parliaments of the acceding countries presented national flags to the then President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox. The new EU members are Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus.
Noting that twenty years ago, "the European family embraced ten new Member States, a bold step that further reunified Europe, after decades of divisions following World War II," Borrell said that it was the biggest wave of enlargement of the EU, that reunited the continent striving for freedom of all people, peace, stability and prosperity.
"Yet, our work on the reunification of the continent is not complete. We knew it before 2022 and we know it even more today, with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The past years millions of Europeans showed their willingness and hope to join the EU project. The Western Balkans, Türkiye, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have a historic window of opportunity to strongly bind their future to the European Union. The EU enlargement is a transformative policy enhancing security, justice, and democracy while raising living standards of Europeans," the EU High Representative said.
He pointed out that the EU and the candidate countries cooperate in the field of security and defense so that they can better solve numerous geopolitical problems together. "Future Member States are required to strengthen their democratic institutions and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms. The EU is also working to reform itself, preparing today for the Union of tomorrow. We aspire not just for a larger Union, but a stronger one, capable of upholding and projecting our shared values across the world. Candidate countries and the EU have the historic opportunity to build a bigger, deeper and stronger European Union," Borrell is convinced.
