As many countries are on the waiting list to join the bloc, European officials talk to Euronews' Sasha Vakulina about corruption, globalisation, and the challenge to expand from authoritarian regimes.
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00:00 The business case for EU enlargement.
00:03 This was the issue discussed by an EU news discussion panel at the World Economic Forum.
00:08 Several countries are on the waiting list to join the bloc, but they must overcome many
00:12 obstacles.
00:14 Our guests talked to EU news Sasha Vakulina about corruption, globalization and the challenge
00:19 to expansion from authoritarian regimes.
00:22 If you like to attract investment, we need to connect rule of law, anti-corruption, independence
00:27 to the system.
00:29 We need to talk about this.
00:30 I think that we should now stick to this as part of the European project.
00:35 Those countries have to show their wish really to respect this because that means predictability,
00:42 certainty.
00:43 We can build confidence.
00:44 What we've seen over the last year is that globalization is moving in the wrong direction
00:48 and free trade is becoming a scarce resource.
00:51 And now we see a chance to expand the home territory.
00:55 What is EU?
00:56 What all European companies, European-based companies are depending upon.
01:00 Then I think it's really a pity not to take that chance.
01:03 Unfortunately, quite nearby we have the regimes who really want to test and challenge the
01:10 existing world order.
01:12 Those countries like Russia, like Iran, like North Korea and maybe some others, they are
01:18 thinking literally like that.
01:20 So it's a time to take the bold and strong decisions.
01:24 And EU expansion, we believe, is one of them, which really can stop and preserve the normal
01:30 development of the world.
01:32 Euronews is broadcasting several key events and high-level interviews over the course
01:37 of the week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
01:42 [WHOOSH]