TIRANA, June 17 – As it was expected Ukraine and Moldova have been given candidate status by the EU, according to an announcement made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Friday.
Ukraine applied for EU membership just days after Russia launched its invasion on 24 February, with Georgia and Moldova following suit over fears of aggression and influence from Moscow.
“Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the country’s aspiration and the country’s determination to live up to European values and standards,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels.
“We have one main message: Yes, Ukraine deserves a European perspective. It should be welcomed as a candidate country, on the understanding that important work remains to be done,” Von der Leyen said.
“The entire process is merits-based. It goes by the book, and therefore, progress depends entirely on Ukraine,” Von der Leyen said, also as a message to member states who are generally more skeptical towards EU enlargement.
Such a move by the EU is unprecedented in its history of enlargement because, for example, it took five years for Albania to get that status, while this Western Balkans country is in the waiting room for more than two year to start the intergovernmental talks with the Union.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking alongside the four leaders on Thursday, promised Ukraine was ready to put in the work to become a fully-fledged EU member.
At the same time, the European Commission also recommended granting Moldova EU candidate status on the understanding that the country will carry out reforms.
“It is on a real pro-reform, anti-corruption and European path for the first time since independence,” Von der Leyen said.
Meanwhile, Georgia, the third country in what has been dubbed the Associated Trio, is set to be left behind for now. The country has been granted the European “perspective” until it fulfils conditions spelt out by the European Commission that lead to EU candidate status. /Argumentum.al
