The global future is also a major topic at the Globsec Bratislava Forum 2023. Róbert Vass, President of Globsec, said this at the beginning of the three-day conference, recalling Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the spread of disinformation and the energy and economic crisis. Although European unity has been tested by disinformation attempts, it has proven its value and effectiveness in defending democratic values and addressing global challenges. The President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Caputova, said in her speech at the international Globsec conference in Bratislava. "Let's make sure that we can not only create an area of freedom and democracy in Europe, but that we can also maintain it," the President underlined in the context of the challenge that the European Union continues to face.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna and future EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova highlighted Ukraine's progress in the judiciary and the fight against corruption at the Globsec 2023 Bratislava Forum on Monday, while European Parliament Vice-President Michal Simecka expressed his belief that Ukraine's EU membership would be beneficial for both Slovakia and the EU. "Our government is running the country in a way that points it towards the EU," said Stefanishyna, who is also Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration. "People understand this," she said, noting that this is partly due to the government's communication.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she said, makes it clear that European integration and victory in the war against Russia are inseparable. Stefanishyna also addressed specific processes and measures her country is taking to move closer to the EU, touching on efforts to fight corruption and adopt new legislation. "First we need to win the war, establish a just peace, hold Russia accountable and answer the questions that will bring stability and prosperity to Ukraine," she said, stressing that Ukraine should be involved in the process of making new decisions at the EU level.
Mathernova noted that Ukraine is one of the candidate countries for EU accession and has to meet criteria in seven areas. In particular, she highlighted the progress Ukraine has made since 2014 in the area of judicial reform and the establishment of anti-corruption institutions. "Ukraine is showing that it is resilient, that it is taking action and implementing reforms. It is confirming that it has not failed as a state. Ukraine has a functioning government, civil society, local authorities and armed forces," Mathernova said.
Meanwhile, Simecka expressed his belief that Ukraine's EU membership and entry into the common market would benefit Slovakia, especially the eastern part of the country. "It is in Slovakia's vital interest that Ukraine joins the EU as soon as it fulfils the conditions," he said. The vice-president of the European Parliament added, however, that there are still obstacles to Ukraine's accession that are not related to Ukraine itself, but to the way the EU works and how power and finances are shared within it. According to him, certain problems in the area of rule of law and democracy in some member states also have an impact on the admission of new countries. Mathernova said that one of the possible obstacles on Ukraine's way to the EU is a change in the balance of power in the Union after its enlargement. "Ukraine's accession would inevitably [tip the balance] more to the east," she said.
Source: TASR
