Czech foreign minister: EU enlargement should be gradual, but Ukraine is a special case
He said this at the Wachau European Forum in Austria, Ukrinform reports, citing Radio Prague International.
The simultaneous accession of several new countries to the EU will slow down a fast-track procedure for those candidates that have adapted to EU norms more rapidly than others, Lipavsky said.
According to him, adaptation to EU rules and reforms are two parallel processes. "We need to provide a European perspective to every European country that wants it and fulfills the necessary conditions," the minister said.
However, Ukraine is a special case, Lipavsky stressed. "Putin is waging an imperialist war against the whole of Europe. The Czech Republic is also the target of Moscow's hybrid attacks," the Czech Foreign Minister said.
He noted that Ukrainians have chosen democracy and the European way of life, so they deserve all possible support from the EU.
Lipavsky noted that the Czech Republic has provided assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the provision of weaponry and has accepted approximately half a million refugees, representing the highest per capita rate of acceptance among EU member states.
As reported by Ukrinform, the European Union Council on June 21 officially approved the negotiating framework necessary to begin EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, opening the way for the first intergovernmental conference to be held next Tuesday, June 25.
