Alexander Stubb includes Azerbaijan among countries that could join EU in future
Ulviyya Poladova
Read moreFinnish President Alexander Stubb has suggested that the European Union could expand to around 40 member states over the next 30 years.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the academic year at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, Stubb outlined his vision for the bloc’s future, saying he would like to see all Western Balkan countries, Ukraine and Moldova join the EU, along with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
"As for other countries, such as Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, it will depend on how they develop," the Finnish president added.
Stubb also floated the idea of Canada joining the European Union, particularly amid proposals in the United States to make Canada the country’s 51st state.
"Wouldn’t it be great if Canada were the 28th member state of the European Union instead of the 51st state of the United States?" he emphasized.
Stubb described enlargement as the European Union’s "most important foreign policy" and said he believes the bloc will deepen its integration while continuing to expand over the coming decades.
Image: Lehtikuva / Markku Ulander / Reuters
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