2024-02-13 17:38:46
WORLD
The heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidate countries to enter the community club this Thursday.
The decision was made after the European Commission recommended the two countries join the bloc last week.
At the summit held in Brussels, the leaders of the 27 countries took the first step towards the accession of both nations, a process that can be reversible if they do not comply with the reforms that the European Commission has demanded in terms of judicial independence, the fight against corruption and organized crime or when applying the law that limits the power of oligarchs.
The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, assured that the decision of the European heads of state and government places the community bloc “on the right side of history.” “We will return to before February 24 (date of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine), only forward in a Europe that assesses its security and geopolitical situation. If there is a time for more Europe, it is now. This is the right decision, it will strengthen Ukraine and Europe,” Metsola said, according to the agency. On the other hand, she also claimed to understand “the frustration” of Western Balkan countries such as Albania and North Macedonia, which have been waiting for years for the green light for their accession negotiations to begin and are now seeing how Ukraine and Moldova manage to reach this stage in record time. “We cannot allow ourselves today that, at this historic moment of giving candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, that we also have the shadow of paralysis with countries that have been waiting for a long time,” the Maltese politician warned. However, leaders of the Western Balkan countries showed their frustration with the way the accession process of Ukraine and Moldova is going. “What is happening now is a serious problem and a serious blow to the credibility of the European Union. “We are wasting precious time that we do not have,” North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said at a press conference. (EFE)