movements in the region; South Africa 45. Reiterates the importance of the EU's strategic partnership with South Africa; contends that South Africa, given its record of a successful and peaceful transition to democracy and its role as a regional power, can be a major force in promoting democracy and good governance, fostering regional economic integration and supporting national reconciliation across Africa, and a key partner for the EU in these efforts; stresses the importance of close cooperation between the EU and South Africa on climate change, sustainable development and the reform of international institutions; An enlarging EU 46. Emphasises that EU membership provides peace, prosperity, democratic development, stability and security in the swiftly changing international environment, and that belonging to the EU continues to offer the prospect of socioeconomic development; takes the view that enlargement remains an important tool of EU foreign policy and is in the EU’s long-term strategic interest, which cannot necessarily be measured in terms of short-term balance sheets; points out, however, that the enlargement policy needs to take into account the EU’s own integration capacity and the genuine commitment of the Western Balkan countries and of Turkey to take up their responsibilities and address outstanding concerns; welcomes the agreement on telecommunications and energy reached between Serbia and Kosovo during the 16th round of the negotiations brokered by the VP/HR, and calls for more efforts to overcome all remaining obstacles; The EU’s neighbourhood 47. Stresses that the EU needs to put further effort into, place a higher priority on, and show greater commitment to, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) at a time when this policy is in difficulty and is being challenged by developments in numerous countries; believes, therefore, that for reasons of solidarity and on account of its own interest in peaceful and free development, the EU must strongly focus its instruments, inter alia by strengthening multilateral approaches in the region, and make strong links between its policy, financial instruments and funding in order to achieve its main policy objectives, notably as regards delivering on human rights, democracy, the rule of law and economic reforms; notes that the European perspective remains a key incentive, in particular for European neighbourhood countries, to deliver on ambitious reforms; 48. Emphasises that the modernisation of the whole European neighbourhood rests on the gradual development of liberal democracy in which those who are elected democratically also govern democratically in accordance with constitutional principles, respecting opposition, dissent and non-conformism; 49. Calls for the principles underlying the new ENP approach, as set out by the VP/HR and the Commission in the relevant joint communications1, in particular the 'more-for-more', 1 Joint communication of 25 May 2011 entitled ‘A New Response to a Changing Neighbourhood’ (COM(2011)0303); joint communication of 20 March 2013 entitled ‘European Neighbourhood Policy: Working towards a Stronger Partnership’ (JOIN(2013)0004).