Romanian Foreign Minister: Efforts must be made to welcome new countries into the EU in near future

Efforts must be made to welcome new countries into the European Union family in a few years, Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu told a press conference on Tuesday marking the start of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union."We must make efforts to welcome new countries into the European Union family in a few years. High-performing countries should join us as soon as possible, not in the distant future, but in the near future. You have probably noticed that one of the strategic objectives of the government programme is that, in less than 10 years, the EU border will not stop at Romania, and this is an objective supported by Parliament through a vote of confidence. It is an objective that we have clearly communicated and we want to support it even more strongly," said the head of Romanian diplomacy.She also emphasised the need to defend against new hybrid threats and interference in democratic processes."We have recent experience in Romania, something that makes us vocal and willing to contribute when the same thing happens in other countries in the region - we will help, we will share our experience and the lessons we have learned," the Romanian minister added.The Danish ambassador, Uffe Andersson Balslev, evoked the support that our country has given to the Republic of Moldova."Romania's efforts to include Moldova in the EU have not gone unnoticed. Romania's commitment to ambitious enlargement based on merit inspires us. We look forward to working together on such issues over the next six months," said the ambassador.He stressed that, due to the current crises, managing the situation in the context of the EU Council Presidency will not be business as usual."Our security, which at one point was evident, is no longer a given. We must adapt to this new reality. We cannot rely on others to come and save us. Europe must rely on its own strengths. That is why we need a strong Europe in a changing world," said the diplomat.He called for a competitive and less bureaucratic Union. "Despite all the challenges, Europe remains united. We have faced change before, we have adapted before, we can do it again. Challenges bring us closer together, they make us act. During the Danish Presidency, we will take the European agenda forward in these turbulent times," Balslev emphasised.The head of the European Commission's Representation in Bucharest, Ramona Chiriac, said that the Danish Presidency's agenda was a courageous one."We are living in times when the world around us is changing rapidly and sometimes brutally. Russia's war against Ukraine, growing global instability and hybrid threats remind us that the European Union must be able to respond according to its own powers. Our strength lies not only in our economic and institutional foundations, but also in our unity, our open societies and our democratic resilience. And the Danish Presidency draws on these strengths," she said. (Photo: https://www.mae.ro/)