EU Resumes Ukraine and Moldova Membership Talks
The European Union will resume membership talks with Ukraine on Monday. Moldova will also begin its first phase of talks on the same day.
Senior EU officials and ministers from both countries will meet in Luxembourg. Hungary had blocked these talks for years.
But Hungary's new leader Peter Magyar lifted the veto. He struck a deal with Kyiv over rights for Hungary's ethnic minority in Ukraine.
A new Hungarian government was elected in April. This allowed EU member states to agree to open talks with both countries.
The talks cover rule of law, court reform and democratic governance. This is the first of six topic groups in the EU membership process.
Still Hungary's new government has warned against a fast-track process. It may also hold a public vote on Ukraine's membership. Moldova was once part of the Soviet Union and now moves closer to EU membership.
Key Terms 4
- veto A power to block or stop a decision from going ahead
- EU membership talks Formal steps a country takes to join the European Union
- rule of law The principle that everyone including leaders must follow the law
- accession The process of officially joining an organisation like the EU