The EU will approve the implementation of the accession process for Ukraine and Moldova | European Union news

Progress on Kyiv’s membership approval has been given the green light after Hungary’s new government withdrew Budapest’s approval.

The European Union has announced that the accession process for Ukraine and Moldova will begin next week.

At a meeting in Brussels on Friday, ambassadors from the 27 EU countries agreed to resume bilateral talks in Luxembourg on Monday.

EU leaders agreed open discussion and Ukraine and Moldova in December 2023. However, the negotiations were suspended due to the opposition of Hungary, led by the Prime Minister of Russia Viktor Orban, to request the membership of Kyiv.

All of Kyiv is Chisinau See EU membership as additional protection against Russian aggression. Moscow insists that surveillance of the “near abroad” – its term for the countries with the Soviet Union – is essential to national security.

“All member states agreed to open the first round of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,” European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint press conference.

Hungary’s new government, which took power in May, agreed last week to override Orban’s veto, allowing the replacement process to resume.

“This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work that both countries are showing in advancing the transition, despite facing great challenges,” Costa and von der Leyen said.

“Enlargement is a wise choice,” they said, adding, “in a world characterized by growing uncertainty, the European Union’s main institution is in the interest of all of us.”

Entering negotiations with Kyiv was officially opened in June 2024, starting a complex process that often takes years and involves negotiations on everything from agriculture to law.

The move was symbolic, designed as a strong show of support for Ukraine after a full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar reached an agreement with Kyiv on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine last week. This issue has been a point of contention between the neighboring countries.

But Magyar has said that Hungary does not agree with a quick way for Ukraine to join the EU.

He said that Budapest will hold a referendum on Ukraine’s membership, if “it can close all 33 chapters that have joined in 10 to 15 years”.

Negotiations will begin on Monday and open the “fundamentals” phase of the process, Costa and van der Leyen said in their statement.

This includes important principles such as the rule of law that both countries will be expected to follow.