Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said upon entering a meeting of European Union (EU) and Western Balkans leaders that Serbia is a key country in the region, and Brussels’ behavior towards it is unfair and shameful.
“Serbia is a key country, but the entire enlargement process has been a complete failure in the last four years. Serbia has not moved, at the same time the Western Balkans are a golden reserve economically for the EU,” he told reporters, commenting on Serbia not having representatives at the summit for the first time in 14 years.
He also pointed out that Serbia is a key country for defending the EU against migration.
Orban said that nothing can be done in the region without Serbia, and that the treatment and behavior towards Serbia in Brussels is shameful and unfair.
“We are behaving in an unacceptable manner. We need to deal with Serbia first, find solutions to the problems, and then move on to the others. Now we are doing the opposite. It is bad, unfair and shameful,” he said.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović told reporters that Montenegro hopes to become the 28th member by 2028.
He stressed that he believes that during Cyprus’ EU presidency, the drafting of the Accession Treaty will begin.
European Parliament President Roberta Mecola said that enlargement is not “a distant prospect, it is real, it is here and it must happen.”
“We have been saying this for a long time, but if we do not understand that enlargement is the best thing we can do for our geopolitical stability and security, we will continue to meet like this without any progress,” she told reporters.
“It is only a matter of time before the EU starts adding members. In the last 12 years we have lost one and gained none. We need to convince our citizens that enlargement is win-win”, to have real discussions, not just meetings behind closed doors,” she added, adding that the EU must also be reformed.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani pointed out that they have implemented reforms, primarily in the area of ​​the rule of law, but that they do not see much from the EU in return.
“I hope that some hesitant members will be convinced that this is also in the EU’s interest. The more countries in the Western Balkans move towards the EU, based on merit, the safer it will be,” she added.
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