EU Ambassador says that Ukraine ready to start negotiations in June regarding joining bloc

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)

The Ukrainian side is ready to begin negotiations on joining the European Union. Their start is expected in the second half of June, according to the Acting Head of Support Group for Ukraine, Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission Katarína Mathernová.

The diplomat noted that the key factor influencing the accession of a new country to the EU is the consensus of all bloc members.

“This is something I always emphasize to my Ukrainian colleagues – no matter how insignificant the interests of individual EU member states may seem, they matter,” she said.

Maternova added that because of this, she hopes that at the end of June we will start negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

“A political signal was sent back in December of last year. Ukraine is on the right path, it is ready for negotiations,” the ambassador said.

Ukraine’s accession to the EU

In December of last year, the leaders of EU member states agreed to start negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the bloc at a summit in Brussels.

Actual negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU have not yet started – currently, there is a screening of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with EU requirements, and the negotiation framework is being formed.

Earlier in March, the European Commission approved a negotiation framework for Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

Additionally, in mid-April, Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna stated that the decision to approve the negotiation framework and the first intergovernmental conference, which will kick off the negotiation process for Ukraine’s accession to the EU, is expected in the second half of June.