Ljubljana, 2 September 2021 (MIA) — Slovenian Defense Minister Matej Tonin in an interview with Euractiv said he believes the EU should extend cooperation “in all possible areas even during the accession phase.” Speaking ahead of an informal meeting of EU defense ministers at Brdo pri Kranju, Tonin said Slovenia would take the pledge to accept the region into the EU ‘very seriously.’ Asked whether the EU should consider extending the benefits of the European Defense Union to the Western Balkans to go hand in hand with the enlargement process, Tonin said this should ‘absolutely’ be the case, according to Euractiv. “Of course, this step would include extending both the benefits and the responsibilities of the Union’s efforts in the defense field,” Slovenia's defense minister said. He noted that Western Balkan partners were already taking part in several EU missions, with some participating in EU battle groups and cooperating with the European Defense Agency. “All this shows they are willing and capable to be active members of the European Defense Union,” Tonin said, adding that there was “a lot of potential for further cooperation.” Topics discussed in the Brdo pri Kranju meetings included Afghanistan, which Tonin said was a lesson learned for the EU, "especially for our operational engagement." "But I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has already highlighted many areas where the EU has to work, to better prepare for the next crisis,” he added. mr/