Hahn: EU won't accept countries with open issues with neighbors

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn says 2025 is "a realistic goal for a new wave of (EU) enlargement.)

Serbia and Montenegro have currently "progressed the farthest" toward that goal - but that does not mean that the two countries will definitely be the first to "cross the finish line," Hahn told Austria's APA agency.

"There is still much to do," he said.

"It's an indicative and quite possible deadline, if candidates accelerate their path to the European Union. If anyone wants to join the Union in 2025, then they has to complete the (membership) negotiations by 2023," Hahn said.

He pointed out that "the main issue is in the homework for all candidate countries" concerning "how to live with the rule of law," while the second is "the issue of borders."

"We certainly will not accept those countries that have open issues with their neighbors.

The...

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