Vita gazette – The leaders of the European Union (EU) countries have decided to grant the status of “candidate country” to Ukraine and Moldova. Green light also for Georgia.

Macron. “The path is long and hard”

The EU’s yes to the candidacy of Ukraine and Moldova and to a European perspective for Georgia French President Emmanuel Macron said: “We see a phenomenon of fatigue in some countries for enlargement, because the path is long and hard. It will take a long time, let’s be honest. Instead we need to work faster to stabilize our neighborhood “.

“Our border we have Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom”

Macron continued speaking of his proposal for a European political community. “At our border we have Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom and we cannot leave a geopolitical vacuum”, he specified.

“It is a historic moment that allows us to define the perimeter of the EU,” said EU Council President Charles Michel at a press conference speaking of the decision of the 27 leaders on Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. “It is a strong message of political determination. We also found an agreement on how to bring support to Ukraine, at the financial and military level and we confirmed our determination to counter the consequences of the Russian aggression in terms of food and energy as well, “he added.

“Russia – reads the conclusions approved by the European Council – using food as a weapon in its war against Ukraine, is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has caused. The European Council urges Russia to immediately stop targeting agricultural structures and unblocking the Black Sea, especially the port of Odessa, in order to allow grain exports and commercial shipping operations. The European Council supports the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General to this end”.

 Ukraine submitted its application for application to the EU on 28 February 2022 and Moldova and Georgia on 3 March 2022. On 17 June, the European Commission gave its opinion on granting application status to Ukraine and the Moldova. For Georgia, the Commission recommended that its situation be re-examined at a later stage, provided it meets the European perspective and criteria.

Candidate status is the first step in a country’s long-term EU accession process. After a country has obtained candidate status, accession negotiations begin in the later stages, provided the conditions are met. Accession negotiations can take years to get started.