Ukraine's FM expects major push for EU accession with all six clusters in June
Photo: Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (Vitalii Nosach / RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine insists on the formal opening of all six EU negotiation clusters. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said there are all grounds for this, and that the key obstacle in the form of Viktor Orbán’s government is now a thing of the past.
Kyiv is pushing for the opening of all six EU negotiation clusters in June — grouped blocks of reforms, the formal launch of which marks the start of full membership talks.
"We are operating on the assumption that the clusters should be formally opened in June. This is our firm position," Sybiha said.
He also stressed that Ukraine had received the benchmarks in advance, worked actively on them, and believes the results deserve an appropriate assessment from the EU. He said the main change making the opening of the clusters realistic is the political shift in Hungary.
"We believe that the main political obstacle in the form of Orbán’s government has been removed after the elections in Hungary, and we have truly reached a situation where diplomacy can and must do its job," he emphasized.
Sybiha said his confidence was further reinforced by a meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Anitta Hipper.
"Today’s meeting with Anitta further strengthened my confidence in this," the minister noted.
Earlier, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos called on EU countries two weeks ago to officially open all negotiation clusters for Ukraine and Moldova before the summer, stating that the first cluster could be opened during Cyprus’s presidency, and the remaining five in July.
