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Lipavský: Candidate countries should be admitted to the EU gradually

by AI | 24.Jun 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Lipavský agreed with colleagues from Austria, Italy, and several other countries that the expansion of the union to include Western Balkan countries should be a priority for the European bloc.

EU and Ukrainian flags fly in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Photo: Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa

Furth near Göttweig (Austria) – Candidate countries should be gradually admitted to the European Union. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said this to the APA agency on the sidelines of the European Forum Wachau. According to APA, the chief of Czech diplomacy advocated for a “regatta model,” meaning competition between EU entry candidates in terms of the advancement of reforms. Joint accession, according to him, would “slow down the faster candidates.” Adapting to EU rules and reforms are two “parallel processes,” Lipavský emphasized. “We must provide a European perspective to every European country that wishes it and meets the prerequisites,” he added.

EU member states formally approved the negotiating frameworks for the substantive start of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova on Friday. Western Balkan countries are also striving to join the EU. During the Austrian forum on Friday, Lipavský agreed with colleagues from Austria, Italy, and several other countries that the expansion of the union to include Western Balkan countries should be a priority for the European bloc.

Ukraine, according to Lipavský, is a special case because it was attacked by Russia, which has “turned into a fascist regime.” Ukrainians have chosen democracy and a “European way of life,” and therefore deserve all the support from EU countries, Lipavský emphasized, recalling that the Czech Republic also helps with arms deliveries and has taken in half a million refugees from Ukraine, which is the highest number per capita in the EU.