European Union has been facing a number of problems, but that does not mean that the process of its enlargement should be halted, Dagmar Repcekova, Slovakia’s ambassador to Serbia said at the presentation of priorities for Slovak EU presidency.
“Because of a series of events, among them terrorist attacks, we have to consider how to continue. This does not mean that the enlargement process should be halted, because it is the most successful European project,” Dagmar Repcekova said, adding that the credibility of dynamics of the enlargement policy should be preserved.
“Terrorist attacks have led to the need for the issue of border services and system for asylum seekers to be solved as soon as possible. Slovakia will advocate a development of European border services and Coastal guards and initiate discussions on a joint system for asylum seekers, Dagmar Repcekova said.
Talking about plans for Serbia during Slovak EU presidency, she said that the focus was on opening new negotiation chapters with EU, without further conditioning.
The plan was to open Chapters 5, 20, 25 and 26, Dagmar Repcekova said.
She added that the two main challenges in the next months would be Brexit and migrant crisis, but also other problems which have led, as she estimated, to the question whether the EU has been properly established and constructed.
According to Dagmar Repcekova, the main goals of Slovak EU presidency are demonstrating to citizens that joint European projects give concrete results, better connections within the EU, overcoming a fragmentation of the Union, building of a digital market, reaching an agreement on next year’s budget and upgrading the economic and monetary union.
“A priority of the presidency is economically strong Europe which contributes to the economic growth and opening of new job posts, as well as supports economies with small and mid-sized companies,” Dagmar Repcekova said.
