EU eyes next enlargement by 2030: European Council president

People rest outside the European Commission building during the Open Day of the European institutions in Brussels, Belgium, May 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Michel said that the EU aims to "help build a multipolar world anchored in global cooperation."

BLED, Slovenia, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) should be ready for its next enlargement by 2030, European Council President Charles Michel said at the Bled Strategic Forum held here on Monday.

"Now enlargement is no longer a dream. It is time to move forward," Michel said in his keynote speech at the forum, a two-day international conference which focused on solidarity and global security this year.

"I believe we must be ready ... by 2030 to enlarge," he said.

Michel said that the EU aims to "help build a multipolar world anchored in global cooperation."

Organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and the Center for European Perspective, the annual forum is one of the leading international conferences in the region.

EU flags are seen outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

The Western Balkan states are aiming to join the EU. Ukraine and Moldova are among candidates for the EU membership. The last enlargement of the EU took place in 2013 when Croatia joined the bloc.