EU Finance Ministers meeting in Luxembourg formally approved the framework for negotiations with the two candidate countries, confirming the agreement in principle of their ambassadors last week.

The agreement paves the way for the official start of negotiations on Tuesday in Luxembourg.

The heads of state and government of the European Union paved the way for the holding of accession negotiations with the two countries in December 2023. However, Hungary has until today held back the official start of negotiations with Ukraine, judging that the conditions are not met.

The European Commission ruled on June 7 that Ukraine and Moldova have fulfilled all the conditions for starting formal negotiations.

The Commission had asked Kiev to take measures to fight corruption and the rule of the oligarchs. The Commission also asked for measures in favor of minorities, one of the conditions set by Budapest due to the presence of a Hungarian minority in Ukraine.

The European Union granted candidate country status to Ukraine in June 2022, in a highly symbolic move, just months after the war launched by Moscow, and to Moldova.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed next week’s planned start of his country’s accession negotiations with the EU, which will mark the official start of the process of integrating Kyiv into the European Union.

With information from: Euronews

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