Baltic: Presidents issue statement on importance of EU membership

The presidents of the three Baltic States issued a joint statement on the 20th anniversary of the accession of their countries to the EU in 2004, BNS reported. The presidents stressed the importance of EU membership for the well-being, security, and economic growth of the three Baltic countries. Also, the presidents called for opening EU membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova so as to remove “grey zones” in Europe, noting that EU enlargement promoted freedom, democracy, and human dignity. At the same time, the three presidents reiterated that NATO remained the foundation of European defence and security.