Polish MEP: EU door open for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia
Halicki made comments on the three states' bids to join the European Union, and said membership negotiations for them would start shortly. Photo: European Parliament
Tweet 
Share
The door to the European Union is open for Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, Andrzej Halicki, a Polish MEP and member of the European People's Party, said on Tuesday.
Halicki made comments on the three states' bids to join the European Union, and said membership negotiations for them would start shortly.
My message from the European Parliament to Ukrainians is that the procedures will pass quickly and the negotiations will start soon. Of course, now the main goal is to put an end to the war. This is a top priority, Halicki said in comments for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of the country.
We have three potential new members. I mean Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. We have a good message for the public of all three countries - the door is open for you. It is quite obvious that the time has come; the message should be clear and simple. We invite the peoples of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to become a part of the common European space, the Polish MEP said.
On Monday, ambassadors of EU member states agreed to invite the EU Commission to present the opinion on applications by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to join the Union.
Georgia officially applied for membership on March 3, with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signing the country’s membership application.
Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are "belong to the European family" and "share our European values", David Mcallister, a Member of the European Parliament, told the Georgian Public Broadcaster on Wednesday.
There is practically no alternative for the European Union other than issuing a “clear and strong message” that it must open the door to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, Ryszard Czarnecki, member of the European Conservative and Reform Group in the European Parliament, said on Tuesday.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) MP who chairs the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Chairs of Foreign Relations Committees of the Parliaments of the European Union member states on Monday it was “crucial” the Union “demonstrates political will” and grants the country a candidate status.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili welcomed the EU Council’s decision to ask the European Commission to examine applications for Union membership submitted by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on Twitter, stating “This new chapter in our relations motivates us to accelerate our reform agenda”.
The ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, issues related to European security and Georgia’s application for European Union membership were discussed by Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde in a phone call on Wednesday.