Today at 19:56
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna met with ministers of the Weimar Triangle countries in Poznań, Poland.
The meeting was attended by Polish Minister for the European Union Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk, French Minister of State for Europe Laurence Boone, and German Minister of State for Europe and Climate Anna Lührmann.
During the meeting, the ministers focused on the enlargement and internal reforms of the European Union, as well as support for Ukraine and its progress towards EU membership.
“We have always said that the pace of Ukraine’s European integration depends first and foremost on Ukraine itself, on our commitment to transformation, on our determination to implement reforms that bring us closer to the European Union. Today we have discussed with our ministerial colleagues the high momentum of political reform that Ukraine is implementing in the face of Russia’s full-scale war. It is important that this is reflected in the interim assessment of Ukraine’s progress to be published by the European Commission in June. For its part, Ukraine will take all the necessary steps to enable the opening of negotiations on accession to the European Union,” said the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine at a joint press conference.
She stressed that the war currently taking place in the heart of Europe was exacerbating the challenges faced by the continent, such as the food crisis, energy crisis, etc.
In the context of the situation around the restrictions on Ukrainian exports, she called on her European colleagues to work together to find solutions in a spirit of solidarity. Olha Stefanishyna noted that during the visit of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv, the Ukrainian side initiated the establishment of a consultative group to monitor export-related issues.
Olha Stefanishyna also thanked France, Germany and Poland for their decision to send an official letter to the European Commission on the EU enlargement process.
According to Anna Lührmann, Germany’s Minister of State for Europe and Climate, the speed of the EU accession process should be determined solely by the pace of reform in the candidate countries and nothing else. That is why the European Commission should examine appropriate measures to optimise the accession process so that the candidate countries can receive the technical support they really need to do their reform homework.
She also stressed the importance of internal reforms in the EU. The EU must also do its homework and be ready for enlargement, ensuring that its institutions and policies are ready to welcome new members. While the candidate countries are making progress on the road to reform, the EU should not lag behind.
Polish Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk said that Poland supported an ambitious approach to EU enlargement. This is an opportunity not only for the countries seeking membership but also for the EU member states, to increase security and strengthen the EU’s importance and influence in the world.
France’s Minister of State for Europe Laurence Boone, in turn, stressed the importance of continued military support for Ukraine and thanked the French instructors who trained the Ukrainian military in Poland.
According to the French Minister, when talking about the enlargement process, it is very important to emphasize how committed France is to the prospect of Ukraine’s accession to the EU. During the French presidency of the EU last year, it was very important for France to ensure that Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status. Given the geopolitical context, EU enlargement should be seen from the perspective of strengthening the security of the entire European continent. It should be a driving force and, of course, reforms must be implemented as quickly as possible to help Ukraine along this path and to ensure that it, like the other candidate countries, is integrated into the EU as soon as possible. This is important for the EU’s own security.
The foreign ministers gave assurances that the European Union would support Ukraine as long as necessary in its fight against Russian aggression and in the reforms necessary for Ukraine to become part of the European Union.
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