The European Union's enlargement has become a "geopolitical imperative" for security, Germany's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.
In a speech at the Berlin Security Conference, Katja Keul said the EU should accelerate the enlargement process to ensure security and stability in the region.
"We are convinced that European cohesion and stability of the European neighborhood remain crucial for collective European and transatlantic security," she said.
Keul pointed out that following Russia's attack on Ukraine, issues of European security, enlargement, and reforming the bloc's institutions have become strongly linked to each other.
"We need to ensure that an EU of 30-plus member states remains capable of taking decisions and actions efficiently in a changing geopolitical environment," she said.
Currently, eight candidate countries, including Albania, Türkiye, and Ukraine, are striving to become members of the 27-member bloc. Georgia and Kosovo are potential candidates.
