EU to launch accession talks with Moldova on July 4

According to him, this will take place during the EU–Moldova summit in Chișinău. The negotiations will begin with the Fundamental values cluster.

"As you know, the accession process includes negotiations across 33 chapters, and at the summit taking place in Chișinău on July 4 with representatives of the European Commission, the first chapter will be opened," Dan said.

The European Council summit will be held in Brussels on June 26–27. The draft final communiqué outlines the EU's intention to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, calls for a ceasefire, and confirmation of the previously announced €30.6 billion in assistance.

One of the key topics of the meeting is the assessment of Ukraine's progress toward EU membership. The Ukrainian side has already submitted documents to the European Commission to begin negotiations on three clusters: Fundamentals of the accession process, Internal market, and External relations.

Integration of Moldova and Ukraine into the EU

Czechia has developed a plan for the gradual integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the EU internal market. The document was presented by Minister for European Affairs Martin Dvořák on January 28 at a meeting of the EU Council.

The plan contains clear recommendations on the steps needed for the phased accession of these countries to the single European market. Among the proposed measures are access to EU roaming, training programs for entrepreneurs, enhanced cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, and long-term support for the agricultural sector.

Ukraine submitted its application for membership in the European Union in February 2022, shortly after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In June of the same year, the European Council granted Ukraine candidate status.

Ukraine and Moldova have been moving in sync toward EU membership. In particular, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine hopes to open up to six accession negotiation clusters with the European Union this year.