British News Agency

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys highlighted the security significance of the European Union's enlargement policy during a panel titled "Unfinished or Step by Step? Rethinking EU Enlargement," held as part of the Warsaw Forum.

Emphasizing that EU enlargement cannot be viewed merely as a bureaucratic process, Budrys said, "EU enlargement is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is a strategic security project."

Budrys noted that Europe talks about security and stressed that enlargement is an important instrument for ensuring that security.

Stating that Ukraine is already strengthening Europe's security, Budrys remarked, "Europe's strongest armed forces should be closer to our structures, not further away from them."

Budrys emphasized the need to capitalize on the momentum in the EU enlargement process, calling for the process not to be obstructed and for negotiation chapters to be opened.