German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wants to step up the pace of EU enlargement to include Western Balkan countries such as Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the face of Russian and Chinese attempts to exert influence in the region. "The faster we become stronger as a European Union in these geopolitical times, the better," Germany's top diplomat said on March 4 at a meeting with Montenegrin colleague Filip Ivanovic in the capital, Podgorica. At the same time, she emphasized, "Enlargement is not an end in itself but serves to strengthen our common Europe."
German FM Pushes For EU Enlargement To Include Western Balkans
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks to journalists during a press conference in Podgorica on March 4.