It is an honour to speak to you today about a subject that I consider one of the European Union’s most urgent and transformative priorities: enlargement. Since the first days of my mandate as President of the European Council, I have made it a top priority.  On 1 December, I began my mandate in Ukraine, and just two days later, I met with all Western Balkans leaders here in Brussels. It is a priority I deeply believe in. In a world marked by geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability, an