Spain's PM wants EU enlargement talks with Ukraine before year-end
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Spain's Prime minister Pedro Sanchez said "the time has come" for the EU to open its doors to Ukraine and other nations.
PHOTO: AFP
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MADRID - Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Dec 13 he hoped to open enlargement talks between the European Union and Ukraine before the end of his country's six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on Dec 31.
"I kicked off the Spanish presidency with a trip to Kyiv and I hope to close it with the opening of accession negotiations with this country, now that the European Commission's report is known," Mr Sanchez told a plenary session of the European Parliament.
On Nov 8, the EU's executive body recommended that Kyiv be invited to begin membership talks as soon as it meets final remaining conditions related to reining in corruption, adopting a law on lobbying in line with EU standards and strengthening national minority safeguards.
Mr Sanchez added that "the time has come for the EU to open its doors and integrate Ukraine, and also Moldova and the countries of the West Balkans".
EU countries are set to meet on Dec 14 and 15 for a summit to discuss Ukraine's membership bid, as well as the bloc's potential expansion to include Georgia, Moldova and western Balkans nations such as Montenegro.
On Dec 11, Hungary said it would not bow to pressure from other EU members to give the green light for accession talks with Ukraine, setting the stage for a showdown at the summit.
The final decision - as well as another on what would be the EU's 12th package of sanctions against Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
