UPDATE - EU adopts enlargement package recommending talks with Ukraine, Moldova

ADDS REACTIONS OF UKRAINIAN, MOLDOVAN AND GEORGIAN PRESIDENTS

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) — The EU adopted its 2023 Enlargement Package on Wednesday, which includes a mandate for the bloc to open negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on their full membership.

"Another historic step for the citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding their EU aspirations," the European Commission said on X.

"We've adopted our 2023 Enlargement Package recommending to open negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, to grant candidate status to Georgia, and to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, once the necessary degree of compliance is achieved," said the commission.

"Completing our Union is the natural horizon," it added.

The commission recommended that the EU Council launch accession negotiations with Ukraine for demonstrating its resolve in making "substantial progress in creating a powerful reform dynamic" despite its ongoing war with Russia.

The same recommendation was made for Moldova, which the commission said has met nine steps set out in its membership application, including reforms on justice, anti-corruption, and public administration.

It added that Georgia had taken steps to strengthen engagement with the bloc and had increased the pace of reforms in recent months to address twelve priorities identified in its membership application, making it eligible for candidate status.

On Bosnia and Herzegovina, the commission said the country "has started to deliver on reforms, but, further efforts are needed to adopt rule of law and preserve the constitutional order of the country."

Kyiv applied for EU membership on Feb. 28, 2022, four days after the beginning of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Moldova and Georgia submitted their applications three days later.

The commission published opinions on the three applications in June of the same year, recommending that the council confirm all three countries' perspectives of becoming member states of the EU.

On Bosnia and Herzegovina, which applied for EU membership in February 2016, the commission had recommended it receive candidate statues in October 2022.

- Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian presidents welcome EU decision

The presidents of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia welcomed the adoption of the EU's 2023 Enlargement Package.

"This is a pure positive. Despite all the difficulties, we are moving forward. Already in December we expect a political decision from the European Council," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address.

He indicated his people have always been and remain part of the European family and said Ukrainians deserve to be part of the EU "both for their defense of European values and for the fact that even in times of full-scale war, we keep our word and develop state institutions."

President Maia Sandu defined Moldova's recommendation for EU accession talks as an "important milestone" that recognizes Chisinau's "commitment to democracy and development."

"Moldova is firmly on the path for EU membership and we will continue working relentlessly towards this goal," Sandu wrote on X.

And Salome Zourabichvili welcomed the recommendation of the EU Commission to grant Georgia the EU candidate status.

"As President, I will continue more than ever to play my role as a pro European leader to facilitate and push the still needed reforms," Zourabichvili wrote on X.

*Burc Eruygur contributed to this story from Istanbul