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2026-06-13 10:34:55
[EU to Launch First Phase of Accession Negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova] European Council President Costa and European Commission President von der Leyen issued a joint statement on the 12th, announcing that the EU will launch the first phase of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. The statement said that EU member states have agreed to launch the first phase of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and the EU will begin negotiations on fundamental principles, covering the rule of law, institutions, and other aspects, at its first intergovernmental meeting on the 15th of this month. Previously, some EU member states, represented by Hungary, opposed Ukraine's accession to the EU. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Majol, who took office in early May, stated this month that Hungary has agreed to begin negotiations on Ukraine's accession. Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU candidate status in 2022. Analysts believe that accession negotiations are typically protracted, and the launch of these negotiations does not mean that the two countries will join the EU in the short term; their path to accession will face uncertainties such as domestic reform processes and regional security situations. (Xinhua)
