"The European Union should ensure an EU membership prospect for Ukraine," European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, said in Slovenia on Monday, addressing participants in a two-day conference of EU parliamentary speakers in Brdo Pri Kranju.

It is important for the EU to guarantee Ukraine the prospect of membership and for the country to become a candidate, Metsola said.

The EU should also closely follow the situation in its eastern neighborhood, in the Western Balkans, Georgia and particularly Moldova, and help those countries in their efforts to accomplish their dreams and prospects of EU membership, she said.

EU enlargement is a precondition for Europe’s security and stability, notably in the Western Balkan region, Slovenian Parliament Speaker Igor Zorcic said.

Participants in the conference were also welcomed by Slovenian President Borut Pahor, who pointed to the importance of EU enlargement, which he considers to be primarily a geopolitical issue.

The war in Ukraine has made it clear that EU enlargement also means enlargement to the countries of the Eastern Partnership. If we say that enlargement to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey and the Western Balkans is important for preserving the peace, stability and well-being of one part of Europe, that raises the question of how to define the consensus on that enlargement, Pahor said, adding that there is currently no consensus on fast-track enlargement and that one should patiently build the enlargement strategy.

Membership negotiations should be stepped up while at the same time maintaining the previously set criteria and rules, he stressed.

EP President Metsola was received for talks by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa. Jansa’s office said they discussed primarily the situation in Ukraine and other topics on the agenda of EU leaders. Jansa and Metsola agreed that the EU must stay united in its response to the Russian aggression on Ukraine, his office said after the talks.