Negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union will start on Tuesday, June 25, the Belgian government announced on Friday.
“This is a great day for Ukraine, Moldova and the European Union,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on X.
Belgium, which is acting on behalf of EU member states until the end of this month, said on X that ministers had approved negotiating plans for the talks with the two countries, allowing negotiations to begin next week.
“Becoming an EU member is our path to peace, prosperity and a better life for all citizens,” Moldovan President Maia Sandu said of X, adding that the first round of talks will take place in Luxembourg.
Ukraine and Moldova applied for EU membership following Russia’s large-scale invasion of the former in February 2022. Moldova, like its larger neighbor Ukraine, has a breakaway region called Transnistria that joins Russia.
But the start of talks does not mean the two countries will join the EU anytime soon: every step of the process requires unanimous agreement between current member states, and several other countries have been waiting much longer.
“Ukraine’s path so far has not been easy, with a revolution and a war. But thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian people, we did not let anything or anyone derail our historical trajectory,” Kuleba said.
“Ukraine also set a record by moving from EU membership to the start of negotiations in just over two years, faster than any other candidate in history.”
He said this was achieved without “discounts”.
“Ukraine diligently met all requirements and implemented crucial reforms to make this historic day possible. We have achieved this despite waging an all-out war for survival,” he said.
A year ago, in June 2023, EU leaders formally recognized Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for membership.
They granted Georgia candidate country status in December 2023, while agreeing to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
The other official candidates are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
The last country to be admitted to the EU was Croatia, which joined in 2013. Romania and Bulgaria joined in 2007 and ten countries joined in 2004.
