PRAGUE – Speeding up enlargement negotiations with Montenegro and Serbia could somewhat mitigate the negative signal sent by not opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, Visegrád Group (V4) Prime Ministers stressed in Prague today.
Speaking ahead of Friends of Cohesion Summit in the Czech capital, Prime Minister of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini expressed his concern over the ability of the citizens to implement further reforms after the decision of European Council in October, Beta reports.
“Maybe they will see the final perspective in cooperation with Russia, Turkey, China or Arab countries. It was a big mistake, because I believe that the enlargement is an investment for the EU. A good investment. Not only economic, but also a security one”, said the Prime Minister of Slovakia.
He emphasised that Slovakia and other V4 countries will always be on the side of the Western Balkan countries and support them to do everything in order to enter European structures.
Prime Ministers of Hungary Viktor Orbán and of Czech Republic Andrej Babiš agreed, emphasising their disappointment over the decision.
The Prime Ministers are participating in the meeting of the Group of the Friends of Cohesion, which gathers 17 mostly Central and Eastern European member states with the goal of securing enough resources for cohesion funds in the forthcoming multiannual financial framework of the EU.