Brussels 01.05.2024 “Twenty years ago, the European family embraced ten new Member States, a bold step that further reunified Europe, after decades of divisions following World War II. It was the biggest wave of enlargement of the EU. It was a reunification of a continent striving for freedom of all people, peace, stability and prosperity” reads the statement of the European Union top diplomat Josep Borrell (pictured).

“Yet, our work on the reunification of the continent is not complete. We knew it before 2022 and we know it even more today, with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The past years millions of Europeans showed their willingness and hope to join the EU project.

“The Western Balkans, Türkiye, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have a historic window of opportunity to strongly bind their future to the European Union. The EU enlargement is a transformative policy enhancing security, justice, and democracy while raising living standards of Europeans.

“The EU and candidates cooperate on security and defence, so we can face together and better the multiple geopolitical challenges. Future Member States are required to strengthen their democratic institutions and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“The EU is also working to reform itself, preparing today for the Union of tomorrow. We aspire not just for a larger Union, but a stronger one, capable of upholding and projecting our shared values across the world.

“Candidate countries and the EU have the historic opportunity to build a bigger, deeper and stronger European Union”.

The celebrations take place amid ongoing military operations in Ukraine, entering 797 day of war.
Today the local media reports that at least four people were killed and 32 more injured after a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, which struck a old building of Law academy in a popular seafront park. Governor Oleh Kiper said seven of the injured, including a four-year-old child, were in serious condition. Ukraine has received a status of the EU candidate country in 2024, in order to join the European Union in the future, when the criteria are met. On 13 September 2023, during her State of the European Union address, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen stated that the future of Ukraine was “in our Union”.

Charles Michel (pictured), the president of the European Council said that the big wave of Enlargement “…was our moral obligation to answer the call of history. It was also in our strategic interest. At the time, many doubted the EU’s ability to integrate populations and economies of more than 100 million people. But we rose to the challenge, by being smart and pragmatic, and by building transitions, for instance, in the field of agriculture and mobility”.