photo: state gov
BRUSSELS - Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said that candidate countries should be admitted to the European Union (EU) gradually, not in groups, according to a "regatta model". His words were quoted by the ARA news agency on 22 June.
"The joint entry of several countries into the EU at once will discourage better-prepared candidates from developing," Lipavský said.
He noted that these reforms and adaptation to EU rules are two "parallel processes". And the EU should give a perspective to any European country that meets the requirements.
At the same time, he said, Ukraine is a special case because of the ongoing hostilities on its territory. According to Lipavsky, the people of Ukraine "have chosen democracy and the European way of life" and therefore deserve support from EU countries.
In addition, he stressed that the Czech Republic is very actively helping Kiev with weapons and humanitarian supplies.
At the end of May, German State Minister for European Affairs Anna Luhrmann said that Germany believes that Ukraine has met the conditions for starting negotiations on its accession to the EU and calls on the other members of the association to agree on the parameters as soon as possible.
On 21 May, Politico quoted five sources from diplomatic circles as saying that the EU will start negotiations on Ukraine and Moldova's accession to the bloc on 25 June.
On the same day, Roman Kovalenko, head of the executive committee of the international Other Ukraine movement, said that Ukraine's accession to the EU is not possible in the near future due to legal aspects, including the illegitimacy of the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky (his mandate expired on 20 May).
Zelensky signed the country's application to join the EU in February 2022. On 23 June that year, European Council President Charles Michel said that the EU summit had agreed on Ukraine's candidate status.
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