Held since 2006, the Bled conferences bring together policy makers, businesspeople, and experts from different fields to contribute to an open debate on contemporary policy, security, and development challenges.

Minister Rau appeared on the panel “How many Europes in Europe?”  In his address, he underlined that Ukraine’s struggle for independence is also a struggle for the right to freely choose its path of development. He pointed out that by embracing Europe, Kyiv aspires to become a full member of the European Union. While achieving this goal will be a tough challenge, to keep the EU attractive and influential on a global scale it is necessary to reject the temptation of a multi-speed Europe, he stressed.

The minister also commented on the ongoing debates on how to reform the way the EU functions. He pointed out that on a number of issues, such as energy security, defence, and enlargement policy, the positions of some EU Member States from the period prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have proved wrong. This indicates the need to maintain unanimity as a guarantee of equality and respect for the voice of all states.

 

Łukasz Jasina

MFA Press Spokesperson

 

Photo: Bartosz Peterman/MFA