On June 25, the European Union officially begins accession negotiations with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this day historic.
“On February 28, 2022, a few days after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we signed the application for membership. Almost two years ago, in June 2022, we were granted with the candidate status, and last December we obtained a political decision on negotiations. But exactly today the start of our membership in the European Union will be marked: the first intergovernmental conference between Ukraine and the EU is taking place today,” emphasized Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Thank you to everyone who is defending Ukraine, our state, and our people. Thank you to the team that is doing everything to make us a part of the European Union. We will never be led astray from our path to a united Europe, to our common home of all European nations. A home that should be peaceful!” concluded the head of state.
At the First Intergovernmental Conference, the EU will present the negotiation framework, which lays the foundation for further negotiations. Then both sides—the Ukrainian and the EU side—will present their negotiating delegations and exchange opening statements.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation is Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna. The delegation also includes ministers and deputy ministers from areas covered by the negotiation process, representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the National Bank, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, and others. These are representatives of key ministries and state bodies that will bear the greatest responsibility in meeting the membership criteria during the accession negotiations.
