Romanian Foreign Minister: The start of negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova for EU accession is a natural step
The start of the accession negotiations to the European Union with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova is a "natural step" and the recognition of the merits of these countries, Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu said on Friday, after a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olga Stefanişina. informs Digi24.RO.
The head of Romanian diplomacy reiterated Romania's "clear" support for the announcement of the opening of the European Union accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, at next week's European Council. "It is the natural step, which gives the necessary and deserved recognition to the efforts of both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova," said Luminița Odobescu, according to Agerpres.
Odobescu said that "Romania's position is based on the principle of the individual merits of the candidate states, a defining element of the European Union's enlargement policy". Moreover, she noted that, in the case of Ukraine, "we are talking about a convincing administrative effort and at the same time impressive in scope.
It is all the more remarkable that this effort was undertaken under extremely difficult conditions of the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine." "We are making joint efforts so that at the end of next week's European Council we have the decisions that Ukraine, Moldova and Romania are waiting for," she said. For her part, Olga Stefanișina said that Ukraine "made enormous efforts during the war, mobilized all political parties, all the Government, administration, civil society, to produce transformations, to overcome blockages and problems". "We have made important progress, which has been evaluated not only by the European Commission, but also by the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission, GRECO," she emphasized.
The start of negotiations, added the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, would be a signal for the whole of Europe and for countries that aspire to European integration. "We are at the moment when the European Commission has completed its expertise and decided to recommend the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
The merit-based approach is vital to us. (...) We see zero reasons for a veto against the EU enlargement process, against the start of negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. I think that all possible efforts need to be made to mobilize the spirit of unity", pointed out Stefanișina, who added that she is confident in Romania's full support.
