Ukraine's Foreign Minister expects conference to launch EU accession talks will take place on 25 June

Ukraineʼs Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has announced preliminary plans to hold an intergovernmental conference, which is considered the beginning of the EU accession talks, on 25 June in Luxembourg.

Source: European Pravda; Dmytro Kuleba in an interview with Ukrinform

The minister stressed that Ukraine has implemented seven recommendations of the European Commission, which is the basis for the adoption of the framework for negotiations on Ukraine's membership of the EU by the Council of the European Union.

Quote: "As evidenced by the results of internal negotiations in the European Union and the EU-Ukraine dialogue, the approval of the negotiation framework and the holding of the first intergovernmental conference, which is to begin accession negotiations, look quite achievable in June, under the Belgian presidency. Unless, of course, there is some kind of force majeure," Kuleba said.

Kuleba said the first intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova are tentatively planned for 25 June in Luxembourg after the meeting of the Council of the European Union on general issues.

"First with Ukraine, then with Moldova. They will be held at the level of ministers for European affairs of the member states with the participation of representatives of the European Commission at the level of commissioner Olivér Várhelyi," the minister said.

Read also: Kyiv will take the Albanian path to EU membership: details of Ukraine's negotiating framework emerge

Background:

• On 7 June, the European Commission confirmed that it had provided a positive oral assessment of the progress of the European integration reforms of Ukraine and Moldova, outlined in the November report on EU enlargement.
• Meanwhile, media reports indicated that permanent representatives of the European Union member states had again failed to decide on the European Commission's recommendations to start EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, as Hungary had raised objections.
• Another senior diplomat says Hungary "made the same complaint as last time about the lack of progress made by Ukraine on national minorities". 
• The German government recently stated that Ukraine fulfilled the requirements regarding the reforms necessary to start negotiations on joining the European Union. 

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