The Belgian presidency of the Council of Europe announced on Friday that the ambassadors of the 27 European Union member states have “agreed in principle” to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on June 25.
In a statement, the presidency said, “The ambassadors agreed in principle on the negotiation frameworks for the accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
The Belgian presidency will call for the first intergovernmental conferences to be held on June 25.”
This decision is set to be formally approved during a meeting of foreign ministers on June 21. Additionally, the Dutch parliament must also approve this decision.
Both Kyiv and Chișinău applied for EU membership shortly after the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.
In mid-December, the heads of state and government of the European Union made a historic decision that paved the way for the start of accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova.
However, Hungary has consistently delayed the start of negotiations, arguing that Kyiv has not yet met the necessary conditions to begin the talks.
On June 7, the European Commission stated that Ukraine and Moldova had met all the basic requirements to officially commence negotiations.
The Commission had previously asked Kyiv to take measures to combat corruption and reduce the influence of the oligarchic class.
Additionally, the Commission has demanded the enhancement of ethnic minority rights, a condition emphasized by Budapest due to the presence of a Hungarian community in Ukraine.
The initiation of negotiations is the first step in a long and arduous accession process that will take many years.
Ukraine, with a population of over 40 million people and significant agricultural strength, faces numerous obstacles on its path to EU membership.
