At the meeting of the heads of government of the Baltic and Nordic countries on Oct. 30, the enlargement of the European Union, which is the most important topic in the European Union this half-year, was under discussion.
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip considered it important that Member States had to remain committed to their earlier decisions made with regard to enlargement. At the beginning of November, the European Commission will table an enlargement report and this will be the basis for debates at the European Council in December. "We believe that the enlargement of the European Union has been a success story. We consider it to be important that their positive impacts will be taken into account," Ansip said.
According to the Prime Minister, the enlargement strategy must be integrated and consistent. "The enlargement must not be sacrificed to the internal reforms of the European Union itself 's the reception capacity of the European Union is an important consideration, but it should not be a separate accession criterion," the Prime Minister said.
At today's meeting, the prime ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries also considered it essential to establish new energy connections. The establishment of energy connections from east to west and from north to south is of especial importance in order to enhance energy security in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
While discussing energy related issues, the prime ministers underlined the importance of the Summit in Lahti as a positive example of a common approach in relations with Russia.
The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and Denmark participated in the meeting of the prime ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries. The heads of government of Norway and Iceland were also present.
