By KYIV. Nov 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, following the talks in the European Commission, said that he had received a clear signal that Kyiv was moving towards a decision of the European Council to open membership negotiations in December this year.
“Today I have met with several European commissioners. There will be additional meetings ahead. A clear signal that I received from all the interlocutors who will make a final decision at the commission meeting tomorrow. And this signal is as follows: Ukraine is moving towards the decision of the European Council in December this year to open negotiations. I want to emphasize this,” Kuleba said during a conversation with journalists in Brussels.
He stressed again that if “there is no force majeure,” Ukraine will come to this goal.
“There is a political will for this in Ukraine. And today I am convinced that the European Commission also has the political will to achieve this result. We always have a lot of work on both sides. The closer we get to membership, the more tasks and work there will be both in Ukraine and in the European Commission. But in political terms, absolutely no one questions the fact that Ukraine is moving there,” the Foreign Minister said.
Moreover, according to Kuleba, he heard a signal that “the main discussions that will continue literally until tomorrow” in the European Commission no longer concern Ukraine, but other countries on which a decision has not yet been made in principle.
“Regarding Ukraine, there is a general political consensus that we are moving towards the decision of the European Council to open membership negotiations. And it will be a historic achievement,” the minister said.
Earlier it was reported that the European Commission will recommend starting negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Currently, discussions are continuing on the conditions that Kyiv will need to fulfill for this.
As it is known, the so-called “expansion package”, which will contain these recommendations, is scheduled to be published on November 8.
The final decision on the start of negotiations will be made by the heads of state and Government at the December meeting of the European Council, which will be held in Brussels on December 14-15.
