Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir said she was optimistic that her country could join the European Union as early as 2028, adding that she expected fishing and agriculture to be the most difficult negotiating issues. The minister stated this to Reuters, as reported by UNN.
We have made sure that having a voice at the negotiating table is beneficial.
According to her, if Icelandic voters decide to resume negotiations, fishing will be the most difficult issue to discuss. Iceland has disagreed with the EU in the past over fishing quotas, which affect one of the main drivers of its economy.
She added that any new negotiations should focus on the most difficult issues, such as fishing, agriculture, and the labor market, from the very beginning.
If we do that, then I am quite optimistic that by the end of 2028 we will be members of the European Union.
As the publication writes, the country is a member of NATO and is already part of the single European market and the Schengen area of open borders. The rising cost of living and Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine have renewed Iceland's interest in joining the bloc, as polls have shown.
Also, repeated threats by US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, located between Iceland and the United States, have also drawn attention to possible EU membership.
Recall
Ukraine received conditions for joining the EU for the final three clusters and now has a full package of conditions, the fulfillment of which is necessary for joining the bloc.