Talks on Moldova's Accession to European Union Kicked Off

The European Union has officially launched negotiations on Moldova's accession to the Community. The first negotiating cluster of the so-called pillars, consisting of five chapters, has opened:

• Justice, Freedom, and Security;

• Legal and Fundamental Rights;

• Financial Control;

• Public Procurement;

• Statistics.

In all these areas, Chisinau must fully align its legislation with the EU standards.

Negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership have also begun. Both countries are grouped together for enlargement and must complete all stages simultaneously.

Earlier, Hungary lifted its block on Kyiv's European integration after Ukraine agreed to guarantee the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Transcarpathia. However, Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that if Kyiv fails to comply with the agreement, the accession process will be halted.