Belgium, which currently presides over the EU, has confirmed its intention to organize an intergovernmental conference with Ukraine in June. That is, the actual start of negotiations on Ukraineʼs accession to the EU should take place before the end of the Belgian presidency in the first half of this year.
The corresponding statement was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Aja Lyabib, in response to journalistsʼ questions.
"We have just discussed this with Moldova. We remain committed to organizing this intergovernmental conference during our presidency until the end of June. For Moldova, and for Ukraine too," she said.
According to sources, Brussels officials insist on starting official negotiations on Ukraineʼs accession to the European Union on June 25.
Behind the scenes, diplomats from the EU and Kyiv are working intensively to convince the Hungarian government to agree to start negotiations on Ukraineʼs accession.
The EU ambassador in Kyiv, Katarina Maternova, believes that Ukraine is ready to start negotiations on joining the European Union. The head of the EU mission hopes for their actual start at the end of June.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metzola, during her last visit to Kyiv, also said that she predicts the start of negotiations by the end of the first half of 2024.