Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva met with a delegation of the European Parliament in the EU–Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, headed by its Chair, Pekka Toveri.
Ihor Zhovkva thanked the European Parliament for its unwavering support for Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression and on its path toward full membership in the European Union. The main topic of the meeting was the progress of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations and the need to open the negotiating clusters as soon as possible.
“The European Parliament has always been several steps ahead of other EU institutions in supporting Ukraine. We highly value this principled position. At the same time, today it is the member states that must make the political decisions necessary to maintain the pace of the negotiation process. We expect a decision on opening the remaining five negotiating clusters in the near future,” Zhovkva stressed.
Special attention was also paid to Ukraine’s compliance with the criteria for EU membership.
“If there were a security criterion among the Copenhagen criteria, Ukraine would already be a champion of integration,” the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office said.
Pekka Toveri stressed that Europe’s security cannot be ensured today without Ukraine’s contribution. He noted Ukraine’s role in defending the European continent and expressed support for the country’s further progress toward full EU membership.
On behalf of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ihor Zhovkva presented Pekka Toveri with the Order of Merit, Third Class, at the end of the meeting.
The Copenhagen criteria are the conditions established by the European Union that every candidate country must meet in order to join the bloc. They include stable democratic institutions, the rule of law, respect for human rights and the protection of minorities, and a functioning market economy.
