Babiš: EU enlargement talks with Western Balkans taking too long

Accession talks on expanding the European Union to include Western Balkan countries are taking unnecessarily long, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said ahead of an EU–Western Balkans summit in Brussels on Wednesday. In his view, it would be better for the countries to join the Schengen area first, in view of Europe's security interests, and only then negotiate EU entry. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia are all seeking EU membership.