Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs on 2024 Enlargement Package

SLOVENIA, October 30 - The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs agrees with the assessments and recommendations made by the European Commission in its report and notes that a credible enlargement policy is a geostrategic investment in peace, stability, security and economic growth for the whole of Europe.

Slovenia is committed to further supporting candidate and potential candidate countries on their path towards the EU, stressing that a clear European perspective is a key motivator for further reforms that will help to establish democratic institutions, strengthen the rule of law and improve economic and social development in candidate and potential candidate countries.

Slovenia will continue to encourage and assist Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in implementing key reforms. Slovenia will also support progress in the development of good-neighbourly relations and regional cooperation, paying particular attention to the active resolution of outstanding issues from the past and the implementation of international legal obligations.

The Commission's recommendations in the 2024 Enlargement Package are expected to be endorsed by the European Council in December. An important part of the package are the recommendations on the next steps in the enlargement process. Slovenia supports them and is committed to a balanced approach, as the enlargement process with the Western Balkans and the Eastern trio is in the strategic interest of the EU. The current geostrategic environment and the many open conflicts in the immediate neighbourhood and in the world call for the continuation of EU enlargement as a key pillar for maintaining stability, peace and security in Europe.