EU Nations Approve Opening Of Enlargement Talks With Ukraine And Moldova
HuffPost
It's another step in the two nations' long journey to join the 27-nation bloc.
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries on Friday formally approved the launch of accession negotiations with war-torn Ukraine and Moldova next week, another step in the two nations’ long journey to join the 27-nation bloc.
Belgium, which currently holds the presidency of the European Union, said member states have agreed on a negotiating framework.
“This opens the way for launching the negotiations on Tuesday 25 June in Luxembourg,” the Belgian presidency said. Talks will be launched with two intergovernmental conferences.
Following a positive assessment from the EU’s executive branch, EU leaders had already agreed last year that accession negotiations should start with both countries. The process between the start of negotiations with Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova and their becoming members of the EU could take many years.
To join the EU, candidate countries must go through a lengthy process to align their laws and standards with those of the bloc and show that their institutions and economies meet democratic norms.
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