Ukrainian FM anticipates EU accession talks to begin on 25 June

Kuleba said that Ukraine has met the seven recommendations set by the European Commission.

Jun 10, 2024 - 06:36

Ukrainian FM anticipates EU accession talks to begin on 25 June

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has announced plans for an intergovernmental conference on June 25 in Luxembourg, marking the commencement of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Eurointegration has long been a goal of the Ukrainian government and society, essential for formalizing Ukraine’s European political alignment.

Kuleba said in an interview with Ukrinform that Ukraine has met the seven recommendations set by the European Commission, paving the way for the EU Council to approve the negotiation framework for Ukraine’s membership.

The minister emphasized that, based on internal EU discussions and the Ukraine-EU dialogue, the approval of the negotiation framework and the first intergovernmental conference to start the accession talks appear achievable by June under the Belgian Presidency, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Preliminary plans indicate that the first intergovernmental conferences with both Ukraine and Moldova are scheduled for 25 June in Luxembourg, following the EU General Affairs Council meeting. The Ukrainian conference will precede the Moldovan one and will involve ministers of European affairs from EU member states and European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.

On 7 June, the European Commission confirmed a positive oral assessment of the progress in Ukraine and Moldova’s Euro-integration reforms as detailed in the November EU enlargement report, European Pravda reported. However, some anonymous media reports suggest that EU member states’ permanent representatives have yet to reach a consensus on the European Commission’s recommendation to commence accession talks with Ukraine, due to objections from Hungary.

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