Hungarian and Albanian ministers urge EU to speed up enlargement

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Albanian Minister of European Integration Klajda Gjosha on Wednesday urged the European Union to accelerate its enlargement process.

When addressing a news conference here on Wednesday following a meeting between the two officials, Szijjarto said that speeding up enlargement could enable the EU to overcome many difficulties and that inclusion of the West Balkans would make the EU stronger.

Given the EU's current difficulties, Szijjarto said, it would be a bad choice for the European Union to circle its wagons. Instead, it needs to speed up the enlargement process to prevent itself from weakening and becoming less competitive.

Treating the West Balkans as a gray area is irrational and needs to end, Szijjarto added.

"The more of us we are, the stronger we are," he said, adding that the West Balkans were significant economic and trading partners.

As of next February, said Szijjarto, a member of his staff would begin working in the Albanian Ministry of European Integration, to assist the Albanian government with the integration process.

On her part, Gjosha said that the opportunity to join the European Union was a historical opportunity that her country could not afford to let go wrong. Albania is counting on Hungary's help, she added.

She said her country had high hopes regarding the Hungarian expert. Given that Hungary has already gone through the integration process, Gjosha said, a Hungarian expert is certain to have useful experience enabling Albania to prevent mistakes.

Gjosha added that Albania and Hungary had close and traditionally good bilateral relations, which were reflected in their economic cooperation. Endit