EU Eyes Next Enlargement by 2030: European Council President

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(220302) -- BRUSSELS, March 2, 2022 (Xinhua) -- European Council President Charles Michel gives a speech at a European Parliament plenary in Brussels, Belgium, March 1, 2022. Conflict should end before Ukraine's application to join the European Union (EU) is discussed, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said here on Tuesday. TO GO WITH "EU leader says conflict must end before discussion for Ukraine's accession" (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

The European Union (EU) should be ready for its next enlargement by 2030, European Council President Charles Michel said at the Bled Strategic Forum held here on Monday.

« Now enlargement is no longer a dream. It is time to move forward, » Michel said in his keynote speech at the forum, a two-day international conference which focused on solidarity and global security this year.

« I believe we must be ready … by 2030 to enlarge, » he said.

Michel said that the EU aims to « help build a multipolar world anchored in global cooperation. »

Organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the Center for European Perspective, the annual forum is one of the leading international conferences in the region.

The Western Balkan states are aiming to join the EU. Ukraine and Moldova are among candidates for the EU membership. The last enlargement of the EU took place in 2013 when Croatia joined the bloc.