President of the European Commission on the start of EU accession negotiations: It is a huge step
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sent a congratulatory message to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, after it was announced that the accession negotiations with the European Union (EU) will begin on June 25. According to the official, this is a huge step for both countries.
"Congratulations to Ukraine and Moldova. This is a huge step forward in your journey to the EU. The European Commission will be with you every step of the way," said Ursula von der Leyen, on the X platform.
We remind that the first intergovernmental conference, which is considered the beginning of the accession negotiations of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to the European Union, will take place on June 25. The announcement was made by Belgium, which this semester holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and therefore sets the meeting agenda. The chief negotiator for the integration of the Republic of Moldova, Cristina Gherasimov, welcomed the "historic" decision of the Belgian presidency, in a reaction on the networks.
The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine submitted an application for EU membership in March 2022 and were granted the status of candidate countries in June 2022. In December 2023, EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations.
