Greece and Cyprus oppose speeding up the process, as suggested by several Eastern European countries. In this context, they mention the European aspirations of the Western Balkans, citing diplomatic sources, reports Euractiv,
KYIV. UkraineGate , 27 , May , 2022 | Political News .
Details
According to sources in the Greek Foreign Ministry, the country’s position is that it is necessary to follow all the procedures provided for in Article 49 of the EU Treaty.
At the same time, Athens attaches particular importance to the process of joining the Western Balkans, which should be continued and accelerated, sources said, adding that Athens insists that the region’s European perspective is a top priority.
Asked whether Greece would agree to grant Ukraine candidate status in June, a source close to the issue said Athens wanted to see the European Commission’s proposal first, although it was generally positive about the prospect, provided there was unanimity among member states that not so now.
As for the Republic of Cyprus, government sources said that they considered it necessary to first see in which direction the opinion of the European Commission will develop. If it is positive, Cyprus will agree to the proposal in favor of granting Ukraine candidate status. However, the source added that all relevant procedures must be strictly followed, so the accession process will be lengthy.
According to Cypriot sources, this equation should take into account the issues of candidate countries from the Western Balkans, many of which have already made great strides in joining the EU, implementing the necessary reforms and fulfilling a number of commitments.
Before
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine pointed out that it was unfair to link the granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine to progress in the integration of the Western Balkans.
Source: Ukrgate
