Romania prepares Ukrainian civil servants for negotiations on EU membership
Ukrainian government officials have undergone training for negotiations on EU accession (Photo: GettyImages)
A group of government officials from Ukraine has completed a week-long training program in Romania aimed at preparing experts in the field of European integration, according to the Government portal.
The aim of the program is to familiarize its participants with the institutional system of the EU, sectoral integration, access to structural funds, cross-border cooperation, and the economic policies of the EU.
This program is intended to enhance the ability and qualifications of Ukrainian experts in the field of European integration who will be involved in negotiations regarding Ukraine's EU membership.
"Ukraine is dynamically moving towards opening negotiations for EU membership, so it is particularly important now to learn from the experience of EU member countries that have already gone through this path," Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna.
A total of 20 government officials completed the training, including representatives from the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the Office of the President of Ukraine, committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, ministries, and departments. Over five training days, civil servants learned from their Romanian counterparts to support the successful realization of Ukraine's European aspirations.
Ukraine's EU membership
In the past year, Ukraine received candidate status for EU membership. Now, it must fulfill several conditions to become a full-fledged member of the bloc.
As of the end of June, Ukraine had met two of the seven conditions necessary to start negotiations.
Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna is confident that negotiations for EU membership will begin this year.
Bloomberg reported that the European Commission will recommend starting the negotiation process for Ukraine's accession to the EU in October.
However, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized that the timeline for Ukraine's EU membership depends on Kyiv.
