Hungarian Foreign Minister: EU and Schengen enlargement should be the bloc's top priority

2023-08-31 08:08:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hungarian Foreign Minister: EU and Schengen enlargement should be the

The European Union should see enlargement as a priority, as the integration of the Western Balkans would significantly strengthen the bloc, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.

Stressing that the bloc needs "rational reforms", during the Strategic Forum held in Bled, Slovenia, Minister Szijjártó also said that the EU was in bad shape, with security, economy and energy supply weakened, reports SchengenVisaInfo . com.

The minister also considered it shameful that Bulgaria and Romania were not yet members of the Schengen area.

Szijjártó said that on the issue of energy security, energy supplies should be treated as a purely physical issue and not as a dogmatic, ideological or political issue. The minister also pointed out that EU enlargement is key to solving these issues.

Referring to the recent statement by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, that the deadline for EU enlargement should be 2030, Szijjártó said that the same could be done "tomorrow".

The Hungarian minister pointed out that the EU will become bigger and stronger, with more space for economic cooperation.

He emphasized that the expansion will also include the most important transit route for fossil fuels, stressing that reforms must be rational and based on common sense, giving priority to expansion and being implemented at the earliest opportunity.

According to him, the situation is the result of a series of failed measures and inaction. As for security measures, Szijjarto pointed out that while the bloc usually called for peace talks in distant conflicts, now that they had chosen a different path. He said that if anyone stands up for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks, they are punished and also branded as Russian spies, pro-Russian propagandists and friends of Putin.

The European Union's share of world GDP has fallen from 22 percent recorded in 2010 to 17 percent recorded today, he said, noting that China's share of that pie has grown from nine percent to 18 percent.

Recently, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said during the Strategic Forum that the EU should set a clear objective in this direction.

"I believe we should talk about time and homework. And I have a proposal. As we prepare the next EU strategic agenda, we must set ourselves a clear target. I believe we should be ready - on both sides - to expand by 2030," Charles said.

According to him, this means that the future long-term budget of the bloc will have to include the common goals of the EU./ CNA