Varhelyi: Conditions for Serbia, North Macedonia Very Clear

Oliver Varhelyi (BETAPHOTO/NORTH MACEDONIA GOVERNMENT)

Oliver Varhelyi, the European commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy, has said the criteria for Serbia were very clear and that neighborly relations were included in the requirements for every candidate for European Union membership.

"Serbia is making progress on its EU path. If you look at Cluster 3, it is ready for opening. It is also very clear that [Common Foreign and Security Policy] alignment, with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, became an even more important topic for the member states, so now the member states are looking at the level of compliance even closer," Varhelyi told the Bulgarian news agency Bgnes.

Speaking about North Macedonia, Varhelyi said he did not anticipate any change to the negotiating framework and did not believe that member states wanted to revisit the conditions for accession.

Addressing the EU Meets the Balkans forum in Sofia on April 8, Varhelyi said enlargement was in the EU's interests and that the next European Commission should welcome new members to the EU, the Bulgarian BTA wire service reported.

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola said in a video address that the Russian war in Ukraine had accelerated the EU accession process for the Western Balkans. Our democracy will be strong when we are united and have a shared vision that we cannot be a stronger, more stable and prosperous Union without the Western Balkans, she said.