12 EU Countries Urge Belgium to Start Accession Talks with Ukraine and Moldova in June

The Czech Minister for European Affairs, Martin Dvořák, has written a letter to Belgium, currently holding the EU presidency, calling for progress in the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU. This letter, addressed to Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, was signed by 11 other EU member states: Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia, according to ČTK.

"We greatly appreciate the steps taken by the Belgian presidency of the EU towards the accession of Ukraine and Moldova. Progress in the accession talks could provide a new impetus for their reform efforts. Given the commitment of both candidate countries, I am convinced that this is the right decision," said Martin Dvořák.

The letter also calls for the EU General Affairs Council to adopt negotiation frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova no later than June. The Council needs to make this decision unanimously to convene intergovernmental conferences with both candidate countries by the end of June.

Martin Dvořák also emphasized the need to motivate both candidate countries to continue necessary reforms by gradually integrating them into EU policies and programmes until they achieve full membership.

"I believe that now is the right time to move forward and take concrete steps in the accession process of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU," concluded the Czech politician in the letter.

It is noteworthy that, according to media reports, Brussels officials are also insisting on starting official negotiations for Ukraine's EU membership as early as June. The EU Ambassador to Kyiv, Katarína Mathernová, also believes that Ukraine is ready to begin accession talks with the European Union. The ambassador emphasized that the political signal for starting negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova from the EU was sent as early as last December.