European Union member states have unanimously agreed to begin the process of opening another negotiation cluster in the accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
The move concerns Cluster Six, which covers external relations, foreign policy, and security issues.
The formal opening of the cluster is expected to take place on July 14 during an Intergovernmental Conference, Euronews reported, as cited by Sinjali.
The development is regarded as another significant step on Ukraine’s and Moldova’s path toward EU membership, following political changes in Hungary, where the new government led by Péter Magyar has softened Budapest’s previous stance on Ukraine’s accession process.
Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had blocked progress in Kyiv’s accession negotiations for years over disagreements regarding the treatment of the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine. However, Hungary’s new government has worked with Ukrainian authorities to find a solution, enabling the opening of the first negotiation cluster at the beginning of June.
The European Commission and Ukraine had called for the opening of the remaining five negotiation clusters before the summer recess as a signal of political commitment to accelerating the accession process. However, Budapest has favored a more gradual approach due to domestic political considerations.
The Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which assumed office on July 1, proposed opening the clusters one by one—an approach that now appears to be producing results.
Friday’s decision includes sending the so-called screening letter, which concludes the assessment of the candidate countries’ legislation and its alignment with the European Union’s legal framework.
The EU’s common position to finalize the opening of Cluster Six is expected to be approved on July 13, with the official opening ceremony scheduled for July 14.
