The breakthrough comes as EU governments on Wednesday moved to formally advance Ukraine and Moldova’s twinned membership bids. Ambassadors meeting in Brussels launched the process for opening the first negotiating cluster in accession talks with both countries.
A spokesperson for the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU hailed that move as a “significant milestone” in the two countries’ “European integration path.” The spokesperson said it was a demonstration of the bloc’s commitment to enlargement, which “sends a strong message of unity and determination.”
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee welcomed the ambassadors’ decision to move forward on the EU accession negotiations, calling the move “a historic milestone.”
McEntee said Ukraine and Moldova had shown commitment to democracy, the rule of law and reform “in extraordinary circumstances.”
The EU’s common position on the cluster is now likely to be formally approved next week, paving the way for separate intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova on June 15 in Luxembourg, where accession negotiations could officially move to the next stage.
Opening clusters requires unanimous approval by all 27 EU member countries.