French EU affairs minister: Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova likely to join EU “in a few years”
Clement Beaune, the French European Affairs Minister, said on Thursday that Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova would “probably” join the European Union “in a few years.” Photo: Getty Images
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Clement Beaune, the French European Affairs Minister, said on Thursday that Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova would “probably” join the European Union “in a few years.”
It is my deep conviction that there will be a European Union which will be in a few years, I don't know when, in a few years, probably extended to Ukraine, to Moldova, to Georgia, perhaps to other countries, Beaune told French broadcaster France Inter, ahead of a meeting of EU leaders today in Versailles.
He added the admission of Ukraine to the EU though “is not for tomorrow.”
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.
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.
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.
The message to the aggressor Putin must be clear that Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova are future members of the European Union, Member of the European Parliament Petras Austrevicius told the Georgian Public Broadcaster on Tuesday.
“The European path is an irreversible choice of the Georgian people,” Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday as the country officially applied for European Union membership.
Georgia belongs to the European family and the Government is ready to implement the reforms that will eventually end with European Union membership, Archil Talakvadze, the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, said on Friday.
The Committee on European Integration of the Parliament of Georgia on Friday supported the draft resolution on the country’s accession to the European Union.
The European Council on Friday invited the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to submit its opinions on the EU membership applications of the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
Georgia and Moldova have received the same “green light” from the European Union concerning their membership applications as Ukraine, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Friday, following EU leaders’ decision to invite the European Commission to submit opinions on the applications.