Polish PM calls for EU enlargement

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that further EU enlargement must not depend on the events in the Arab countries.

Izvor: Beta

Saturday, 09.04.2011.

15:08

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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stated that further EU enlargement must not depend on the events in the Arab countries. He said that the EU must not let Croatia pay for the conflict in Libya. Polish PM calls for EU enlargement “We have to pay attention to what it is going on in Libya, but our first task is to defend the EU from bad things. We must now allow the events in North Africa to block further EU enlargement,” the Polish PM pointed out. He said that it was inevitable that some of the focus of Poland's forthcoming EU presidency in July, would switch to the "south", given the implications for southern Europe of events in north Africa. "Can someone explain to me why Croatia [should suffer because of] Gaddafi? And can anyone for instance defend the point of view that, given the events, the negotiations with Turkey have become less, rather than more, important," Tusk stressed. He said that this was why "the eastern partnership is going to be a very important task and challenge for Poland during the EU presidency but also after the presidency". The project, promoted by Poland and Sweden, is aimed at bringing former Soviet republics closer to the EU and it does not exclude Russia from participating in it. Tusk has denied that the EU's welcoming approach to Belarus and Ukraine had failed, given that Alexander Lukashenko is still in power and that the historically undemocratic Viktor Yanukovych has won the elections. He stressed that it would be in Europe’s best interest if more countries in the world shared European values. “Europe will survive the financial crisis, but it won’t survive the crisis of confidence in freedom and democracy,” Tusk concluded.

Polish PM calls for EU enlargement

“We have to pay attention to what it is going on in Libya, but our first task is to defend the EU from bad things. We must now allow the events in North Africa to block further EU enlargement,” the Polish PM pointed out.

He said that it was inevitable that some of the focus of Poland's forthcoming EU presidency in July, would switch to the "south", given the implications for southern Europe of events in north Africa.

"Can someone explain to me why Croatia [should suffer because of] Gaddafi? And can anyone for instance defend the point of view that, given the events, the negotiations with Turkey have become less, rather than more, important," Tusk stressed.

He said that this was why "the eastern partnership is going to be a very important task and challenge for Poland during the EU presidency but also after the presidency".

The project, promoted by Poland and Sweden, is aimed at bringing former Soviet republics closer to the EU and it does not exclude Russia from participating in it.

Tusk has denied that the EU's welcoming approach to Belarus and Ukraine had failed, given that Alexander Lukashenko is still in power and that the historically undemocratic Viktor Yanukovych has won the elections.

He stressed that it would be in Europe’s best interest if more countries in the world shared European values.

“Europe will survive the financial crisis, but it won’t survive the crisis of confidence in freedom and democracy,” Tusk concluded.

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