00:00The prospect of EU enlargement looked closer than at any point in the past decade at the Euronews
00:05Enlargement Summit in Brussels. But political disputes and disagreements over membership terms
00:10continue to stand in the way. Here are five key takeaways. First, Armenia and Georgia are moving
00:16in opposite directions. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said applying for EU membership
00:21in 2027 or 2028 was realistic. When you are a democratic country, you want to be in a democratic
00:29club next year can be realistic. 2028 can be realistic. But you know now we are focused
00:37on visa liberalization dialogue. Georgia's accession process, however,
00:42has been stalled since 2024 over controversial laws on foreign influence and family values.
00:48Prime Minister Irakli Kobachitse offered no clear plan to restart negotiations and said
00:52his government would not repeal the laws.
00:54The European Commission was using the candidate status issue at the first stage and then the
01:02accession talks issue at the second stage to blackmail Georgia, to blackmail the Georgian society.
01:09Second, Montenegro remains at the front of the accession race aiming to join by 2028.
01:15But European Affairs Minister Maida Gorcevic rejected the idea of second-class membership after the European
01:21Commission proposed safeguards for new members, including a possible 15-year probation period.
01:27Croatia's Prime Minister Andrzej Planković also warned that the upcoming French election could derail
01:32enlargement. Third, Albania is pushing to conclude its EU negotiations by the end of 2027.
01:40When asked how the membership would affect the country's controversial deal with Italy to transfer
01:45irregular migrants to deportation camps, Prime Minister Eddie Rama said the deal will stay for
01:50as long as need be, promising to keep it in force as long as Georgia Meloni remains in power.
01:57North Macedonia, meanwhile, remains blocked by a dispute with Bulgaria, which is demanding
02:02constitutional changes to recognize the country's Bulgarian minority.
02:07Fourth, Ukraine rejected permanent restrictions on its agricultural exports after joining the EU.
02:12Prime Minister Sergi Koretsky said any temporary measures must address specific risks and include
02:18clear review and exit conditions. Kyiv wants to start closing negotiation chapters in the first
02:24half of 2027. And fifth, Moldova is emerging as one of the fastest-moving candidates.
02:32Prime Minister Vasila Tofan argued that progress towards EU membership by Ukraine and Moldova
02:38would benefit both countries.
