Push to start EU membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova before end of June
Victor Orban: Hungary has opposed the formal start of the talks, as it claims it has concerns over the treatment of minorities in Ukraine. Photograph: Alex Halada/AFP via GettyEfforts to get all 27 EU countries to agree to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova are being held up by. Late last year national leaders agreed to start negotiations with the two countries, one of the big steps on the long road towards EU membership.
The commission, which is the executive arm of the EU, told a meeting of ambassadors on Friday that both Ukraine and Moldova had made sufficient progress on initial reforms to move ahead with accession negotiations. Commission officials said Ukraine had in recent months strengthened anti-corruption measures, such as increasing the number of staff in its national anti-corruption agency, and introduced a new law regulating lobbying.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban was persuaded to drop his opposition to Ukraine moving towards joining the EU, during a summit of national leaders late last year. Hungary has since opposed the formal start of the talks, as it claims it has concerns over the treatment of minorities in Ukraine.
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