The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU announced the opening, on Tuesday, of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed this news.
The decision to launch accession negotiations this week is a “big day” for her country, said Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
“It is the absolute will of the Ukrainian people. And it is irreversibility. And you have seen the Ukrainians defend their choice,” declared Ms. Stefanishyna on Sunday in Kyiv.
It was her first interview since being named chief negotiator for EU membership.
EU member states decided on Friday to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, despite fierce opposition from Hungary, which will take over the rotating EU presidency on July 1. The membership process varies from country to country, but can take years.
Ms Stefanishyna will chair the opening of accession negotiations in Luxembourg on Tuesday, accompanied by several senior officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who welcomed this new milestone for Ukraine, is expected to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony.
“We look forward to next week, June 25, when Ukraine and the EU will hold their first intergovernmental conference, which will mark the effective start of the negotiation process“, said the Ukrainian president.
Ukraine obtained candidate status in 2022. A symbolic gesture, a few months after the start of the war. The European Commission had asked Kyiv for measures to fight corruption, as well as better consideration of minorities, particularly Hungarians.
An opinion poll carried out by the European Parliament earlier this year showed that EU citizens largely support Ukraine’s bid for membership, but are less in favor of accelerating the process.
Olga Stefanishyna said Ukraine was not seeking special treatment.
“Ukraine is moving forward quickly”she said, “without skipping any part of the process (and) without asking for a discount”.
The 38-year-old lawyer, who has held civil service and government positions since she was 20, will lead Ukraine’s 35-member delegation to negotiations with the EU.
There is a long way to go
In 2019, Ukraine amended its constitution to include these aspirations and formally applied to join the EU on February 28, 2022, five days after the launch of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine hopes to join the EU by 2030. Now, there is a long way to go for Kyiv. The task is complicated by the war with Russia, the outcome of which remains uncertain. After the opening of accession negotiations, the candidate country must notably comply with political (such as having stable institutions) and economic criteria.
Although it has been praised for progress since its candidacy, Ukraine must complete dozens of institutional and legal reforms required for membership. Such as anti-corruption measures and includes broad reforms of public administration, the judicial system and market rules.
More than a thousand people in Ukraine are already involved in the accession process, which will take place continuously throughout the summer.
Video. No Comment: in the ravaged streets of Sumy after the drone attack