Before the EU summit: Michel consults with Orban

EU Council President Charles Michel announced further consultations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the EU summit on Ukraine. Michel said before the start of the Western Balkans summit in Brussels that he would meet Orban for talks today.

The President of the European Council described the summit, which begins tomorrow and which aims, among other things, to decide on the enlargement of the European Union, as “complex.”

“I work day and night to reach positive decisions,” Michel said. The most important thing is for the European Union to remain united. He hopes to take “further steps in expansion.”

Orban: Ukraine is not ready to join

Orban has repeatedly stressed that he does not believe Ukraine is ready to start EU accession talks and threatened to use his veto in Brussels. The heads of state and government of the European Union must take a unanimous decision on this issue.

Michel was cautious on the issue of possible accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Austria supports. He said that the basis of the discussions at the European Union summit was the European Union Commission report. This was in opposition to accession talks with Bosnia – in contrast to the start of talks with Ukraine and Moldova.

Regarding the Western Balkans, EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell said that the enlargement process must accelerate (“accelerate”). Enlargement is the EU’s most important foreign policy, the EU’s top diplomat said ahead of the Western Balkans summit in Brussels.