The European Union (EU) has determined the candidacy of the new EU ambassador to Ukraine. The Deputy Director General of the European Commission for Enlargement, is planned to be appointed to this position.
Euractiv writes about this with reference to internal EU documents.
Currently, Katarina Maternova is engaged in the development of neighborhood policy and EU enlargement and has already maintained close contacts with the Ukrainian authorities.
"Maternovaʼs appointment could be key in advancing European interests in Ukraine, while offering all the technical support and expertise Kyiv needs to make progress on its path to accession," one EU official told Euractiv.
The current EU ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas was appointed in 2019. The change of ambassador will be a regular rotation, because usually they work for four years. It is expected that Katarina Maternova will start working in Ukraine from September 2023. One of the most important stages will most likely fall on her term — the negotiations on Ukraineʼs accession to the EU.
Maternova herself confirmed on her Twitter that she is planned to be appointed to this position.
- Ukraine applied for EU membership on February 28, 2022, and Georgia and Moldova on March 3, 2022. On June 23, Ukraine officially became a candidate for membership of the European Union. The corresponding decision was made at the summit of the leaders of the EU member states. Moldova also received this status.