Skopje, 29 May 2024 (MIA) - Embassies of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia organized an event under the motto “United in Diversity” to celebrate two decades of EU membership at Europe House in Skopje on Wednesday evening.

The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the European Union on May 5, 2004, marking the largest EU enlargement by number of countries and population. Seven of the countries originated from the former Eastern Bloc, one from the former Yugoslavia, and two from Mediterranean islands.

The event also included an exhibition showcasing posters that highlight the advancements these countries have achieved over the past two decades. Ambassadors from the six participating countries highlighted the benefits of shared European values and the positive impact on the well-being of their citizens.

Head of the EU Delegation in Skopje, David Geer, opened the event, who emphasized that this "Big Bang enlargement" is historic for the European Union. As he stated, it was a "definitive step moving forward in helping to return Europe to a more natural political geography, where we are united together in the European Union.”

“My fellow colleagues I am sure will talk about the benefits that the enlargement has brought to their specific countries, but I would like to mention here the benefits that enlargement has brought to the European Union to 74 million citizens brought into the European Union in 2004 and of course we had three more countries joining since then. In addition, this is a massively increased trade exchanges, it has boosted the economy, it has boosted the financing of the European Union, it has brought innovation, creativity, diversity into the European Union, it has increased our standing as an international actor, it has been hugely beneficial, not without challenges of course that’s the nature of these processes that I believe we can really truly celebrate the 2004 enlargement as a truly historic moment in history of the European Union, Europe itself, and the huge impact it had on the citizens within the EU,” Geer noted.

The next enlargement of the European Union was in 2007 with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, and six years later Croatia was the last member to join the EU.

Photo: MIA