Ukraine moves closer to EU dream

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna will lead Kiev's delegation to discuss the EU accession process (Photo: Reuters).

The European Union will open membership talks with Ukraine on the afternoon of June 25 (local time), a move that gives Ukraine a new political boost, although Kiev's path to joining the bloc remains long and difficult.

The ceremony in Luxembourg is expected to be more symbolic than substantive, according to Reuters. Negotiations will only begin in earnest after the EU reviews Ukraine’s legislation to recommend any necessary reforms to meet the bloc’s standards.

In addition to Ukraine, the EU has also begun talks to admit Moldova, another former Soviet state, in a move that signals that the two countries are on the path toward deeper integration with the Western bloc.

Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022, while Ukraine applied in February of the same year. Both countries were granted candidate status in June 2022.

Ukraine has for many years expressed its desire to join the EU and NATO, even including this goal in its constitution.

Ihor Zhovkva, foreign policy adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said the development would boost the morale of the Ukrainian people.

"It is very important. The path to full EU membership that Ukraine deserves is irreversible," he declared.

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna will lead the Ukrainian delegation at the Accession Conference. Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will speak on behalf of the EU as Belgium holds the bloc's main rotating presidency.

The journey to EU membership is difficult for candidate countries, as they must reform to meet EU standards on a range of issues, from fighting corruption through agricultural management to harmonizing customs regulations.

The Russia-Ukraine war creates enormous challenges for both Kiev and Brussels, raising questions that neither wants to answer at the moment, such as whether Ukraine can join while Russia still controls part of its territory.

Both Ukraine and Moldova will have to overcome not only technical and legal hurdles to become members, but also political barriers.

Candidate countries need the approval of all 27 EU members to open and close each stage of the negotiations, which gives some EU member states the ability to block the talks. Hungary, for example, has previously held up the process, citing concerns about Ukraine’s treatment of ethnic Hungarians in the country.

The EU's admission of Ukraine and Moldova, along with other countries in the Western Balkans and Georgia, would require a radical overhaul of the union's rules on everything from economic development and agricultural subsidies to decision-making, analysts say.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ukraine-bat-dau-tien-gan-toi-giac-mo-eu-20240625080229629.htm