Irish Ambassador to Serbia: Enlargement Has Been, Is Priority

Kevin Colgan (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

Irish Ambassador to Serbia Kevin Colgan said on July 1 that European Union enlargement has always been and will be a priority for his country.

The ambassador told Serbian National Assembly members that his country wants to see a growing EU, stressing that Ireland has benefited greatly from membership, turning from the poorest member into perhaps not the richest, but not far from it. He went on to say that it is because of the EU that Ireland has peace with no more riots in the north, and that it wants others to feel the same benefits. Speaking at a session of the Serbian parliament's Committee on European Union Integration, he presented the priorities of Ireland's chairing of the EU Council in the second half of 2026, highlighting competitiveness, fostering prosperity and wellbeing and security.

Colgan told Serbian MPs that EU values will be the cornerstone of Ireland's presidency and that Ireland will work on preserving the rule of law and strengthening democratic resilience across Europe. He went on to say that his country considers the EU enlargement process one of the most important expressions of EU values, which all candidate countries are expected to uphold, promote and consistently apply in the strategic interest of all.

He stressed that Ireland will strive to facilitate talks as chair, but that members decide if new clusters will be opened. He went on to say that he has met with many politicians and civil servants in Serbia, and concluded that the capacity is there to overcome obstacles.