The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, welcomed the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, to the Palacio de Viana this Tuesday, and discussed with her the importance of EU enlargement in the current context, its potential consequences and the internal reforms the Union must undertake both to accommodate new members and to streamline the decision-making process.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Spain’s accession to what is now the European Union, the minister sought to highlight the value of our membership and our commitment to Europe and to the European principles and values that have helped drive this common project: “Today, one cannot conceive of Spain without Europe, nor of Europe without Spain”.
Enlargement and stability
Albares has defended enlargement as a means for Europe to strengthen its stability and security. “Enlarging the European family means expanding our internal market, strengthening solidarity among Member States, increasing the European Union’s influence on the world stage, and consolidating democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in other countries – values that constitute the very essence of European identity,” he noted.
Spain also supports Ukraine’s accession, as the best guarantee for its future, and remains equally committed to the accession of the Western Balkans, recognising the progress being made by Montenegro and Albania.
The minister also reiterated that, alongside enlargement, we must move towards genuine European sovereignty to ensure that Europe has the capacity to take decisions, is free from coercion and does not depend on third parties in strategic areas.
40th anniversary
Prior to their meeting, and as part of the events marking Europe Day, Albares and Kos took part in a discussion entitled “The 40th anniversary of Spain’s accession to the European Communities and the forthcoming enlargement of the EU”, moderated by the director of CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs), Pol Morillas. The discussion addressed, amongst other issues, the lessons learnt over these 40 years, EU values, security and enlargement, and the governance of a Union comprising more than 27 countries.
Following the discussion, a panel session took place, moderated by Lucía Abellán, editor-in-chief at El País, featuring the State Secretary for the European Union, Fernando Sampedro, alongside Pol Morillas, Aleksandra Sojka, a lecturer at Carlos III University, and Mariola Urrea, a lecturer at the University of La Rioja.
The event was attended by around 200 people, including senior government officials, ambassadors from European Union Member States and candidate countries, representatives of European Union institutions, members of think tanks, and students from universities and the Diplomatic School Master’s programme.
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