The European Union has launched formal negotiations with Moldova on the country’s entry into the union, Belgian Foreign Minister Aja Labib said.
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“Both Moldova and the European Union should benefit from EU membership <…>. Moldova must continue reforms to meet the criteria. The negotiations we are launching today will be difficult, but we look forward to welcoming you as a member of the European Union,” she said at the opening of the intergovernmental conference.
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On Tuesday, Luxembourg hosts intergovernmental conferences with the participation of the EU, Ukraine and Moldova, which mark the launch of accession negotiations to the union.
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The events were organized by the Belgian presidency just a week before Hungary, which is critical of Ukraine’s membership in the union, assumes the presidency of the EU Council.
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In June 2022, the EU granted Ukraine and Moldova candidate country status. The European Union has repeatedly recognized that such a decision was largely symbolic – with the aim of supporting Kyiv and Chisinau in their confrontation with Moscow.
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An EU source said on the eve of the meeting that Tuesday’s meeting will mark the ceremonial launch of negotiations. It provides for two conferences, in which, in addition to European ministers, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olga Stefanishina and Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Rechan will take part.
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After the ceremonial launch of the negotiations, preparations for the first substantive consultations will begin. According to a European source, the process usually takes about a year, but in the case of Ukraine and Moldova it could be shorter. At the same time, the source refused to predict the approximate timing of the start of negotiations.
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The status of a country as a candidate for the EU, as well as the start of negotiations, do not necessarily mean accession to the European Union; these steps also do not oblige Brussels to anything.
