Dvořák: Ukraine accession main issue for EU but Balkans must not be forgotten

One of the main issues for the European Union in the coming years will be Ukraine and its accession to the bloc, says the Czech minister for European affairs, Martin Dvořák. Speaking in an interview with the Czech News Agency on Saturday, Mr. Dvořák also said that the Western Balkans must not be forgotten; he said as an honorary citizen of Kosovo it was an important issue to him personally.

The minister said institutional changes would probably need to be made in connection with further EU enlargement.

Mr. Dvořák said some Balkan states feared that their European ambitions were being sidelined when Ukraine moved significantly closer to EU membership following the Russian invasion. However, even older EU members realise that the Balkans cannot be lost, he said.