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Portugal is actively promoting Ukraine's accession to the European Union. They suggest that the EU should start preparing for the possible accession of our country.
"We are very involved in the enlargement process... We need to prepare to accept Ukraine into the EU when it becomes possible. This process will require financial and institutional reform, which we must take care of immediately," said Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy, quoted by Bloomberg.
As noted, at the same event, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. They agreed to work on a conference devoted to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. The event is due to take place next year, even if a ceasefire with Russia remains elusive.
Accession of Ukraine to the EU
On February 28, 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion, Ukraine applied for EU membership. Zelenskyy asked for immediate accession under the "new special procedure", and the presidents of the eight EU states called for speeding up the accession process.
On June 21, 2024, the EU Council agreed to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.
Olha Stefanyshina, who was recently appointed as the Minister of Justice - Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said that there may be many obstacles in Ukraine on the way to joining the EU. According to her, now Ukraine has started the most difficult stage of the accession process to the EU.
