EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova should start, Brussels says

euronews (in English)

European Union leaders should allow formal talks on Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the bloc to start once both countries have finalised the necessary reforms, the European Commission has said.

Transcript

00:00 Ukraine is one step closer to joining the European Union.

00:04 The European Commission has recommended member states formally open accession talks with

00:09 Kiev.

00:10 Although outstanding work on fundamental reforms needs to be met in the coming months, nonetheless,

00:15 the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today was a historical

00:19 day.

00:20 It is now ten years ago that the protests on Maidan started.

00:28 Maidan protests were people were shot because they wrapped themselves into a European flag.

00:36 And now, ten years later, today is a historic day because today the Commission recommends

00:45 that the Council opens accession negotiations with Ukraine and with Moldova.

00:52 In a 150-page assessment, the EU says Ukraine has made significant progress in tackling

00:57 corruption, the influence of oligarchs on political life, the rights of minorities and

01:02 the independence of the judicial system, although some more work is required in these areas.

01:07 Speaking to Euronews, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister said these issues would be resolved

01:11 soon and oligarchs would no longer be a problem in Ukraine.

01:15 "The experts and the leaders of opinion have said oligarchs are officially dead, not from

01:23 the physical point of view, but as a creation of the post-Soviet transition period.

01:32 So there are many things to be accomplished, but basically we have been recognized as a

01:39 country which has overcame this influence and there is no way back."

01:44 The EU strongly commended Ukraine's progress in the midst of the Russian invasion of their

01:48 country, which created the momentum for theirs and Moldova's membership bid.

01:53 All 27 member states have to unanimously agree to move Ukraine to accession talks.

01:57 If all goes to plan, a timeline for starting negotiations would then emerge for early 2024.

02:03 Seana Murray, Euronews, Brussels.

02:06 for Euronews.

02:08 [SWOOSH]

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