Ukraine will talk about reforms in Brussels before start of EU accession talks - Stefanishyna

At the invitation of the Belgian presidency, the Ukrainian delegation participating in the meeting of EU ministers for European affairs will report on the current implementation of reforms in Ukraine before the decision to start membership negotiations, which is expected to be made in June.

This was announced today in Brussels before an informal meeting of the EU Council of Ministers for General Affairs by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Ukraine was invited today to talk about reforms ahead of a meeting of European Affairs Ministers in June, who will decide on a mandate for negotiations and the first intergovernmental conference. This conference will launch the negotiation process [on EU membership] with Ukraine and, hopefully, with Moldova," the Ukrainian government representative said.

She expressed gratitude to the Foreign Minister of the EU Presidency of Belgium for the invitation to participate in an informal meeting of European ministers, and noted that the Ukrainian side would use this opportunity to present a report on the progress of reforms to its colleagues and hold relevant negotiations.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna arrived in Brussels today to participate in an informal meeting of the EU's General Affairs Council, which is being held on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the EU's 2004 enlargement.