At the end of his working visit to Brussels, on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mucunski said it was very significant that there was in the EU serious impetus when it came to enlargement towards the entire Western Balkans region.
“There are multiple initiatives. One of those initiatives is the one for a qualified majority vote at the Council when it’s about certain stages of enlargement. It’s a fact that a big majority of members and European institutions fully share the stand that enlargement should be founded on the principle of merits”, he underlined.
However, as Mucunski stressed, it’s a fact that his country is blocked by an EU member in the start of negotiations.
As he stated nonetheless, messages such as that sent earlier that day during the presentation at the AFET of the draft report on the strategy of the EU on enlargement, by the EP, that bilateral issues mustn’t be used as a lever to block the process are encouraging. The vote on the text will most likely be held on January 15.
As MEP Petras Austrevicius stated during the presentation, the EU mustn’t allow enlargement to be held hostage by any member because it’s about unifying Europe and bringing Europeans closer.