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Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, the country currently holding the European Union presidency, has confirmed that the EU intends to conduct an intergovernmental EU–Ukraine conference before the Belgian presidency ends.
Hadja Lahbib said this during a press conference in Brussels on 21 May, according to European Pravda.
“We have just discussed this with Moldova. We are still dedicated to organising this intergovernmental conference during our presidency, before the end of June. For Moldova and also for Ukraine,” Lahbib said, when asked whether she expected Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations to happen before Belgium’s EU presidency is over.
On May 21, Moldova became the first country to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, according to Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Previously, POLITICO reported that Brussels officials were pushing to start formal negotiations on Ukraine’s joining the European Union as soon as June 25. Now, Ukrainian and European diplomats are trying to figure out the Hungarian issue as the state hasn’t given the approval to opening the accession talks.
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