The European Union introduced Friday that it might begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.
“The EU Council adopted the general EU positions, incl. negotiating frameworks, for accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,” introduced the Belgium Presidency of the EU Council on X.
“This opens the way for launching the negotiations on Tuesday 25 June in Luxembourg,” it added.
Commenting on the event, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU Council and the Belgium Presidency for “their robust political will,” on X.
Congratulating Moldova, he mentioned, “We will make the EU stronger together.”
“Millions of Ukrainians, and indeed generations of our people, are realizing their European dream. Ukraine is returning to Europe, where it has belonged for centuries, as a full-fledged member of the European community,” Zelenskyy added.
In early June, the European Commission really helpful negotiations on Moldova and Ukraine’s accession to the 27-member bloc.
“This is a big day for Ukraine, Moldova, and the European Union,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned on X.
“Becoming an EU member is our path to peace, prosperity, and a better life for all citizens,” mentioned Moldovan President Maia Sandu on X, who added that the primary spherical of talks might be held in Luxembourg.
Ukraine and Moldova utilized for EU membership after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the previous in February 2022. Moldova, like its bigger neighbor Ukraine, has a breakaway area known as Transnistria that aligns itself with Russia.
But the beginning of talks doesn’t imply the 2 international locations might be becoming a member of the EU any time quickly: each step of the method requires unanimous settlement amongst present member states, and several other different international locations have been ready far longer.
EU leaders formally acknowledged Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for membership one yr in the past, in June 2023.
They granted candidate standing to Georgia in December 2023, concurrently agreeing to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
The different official candidates are Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye.
The final nation to be admitted to the EU was Croatia, which joined in 2013. Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007 and 10 international locations joined in 2004.
Source: www.dailysabah.com