BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia received positive news on Wednesday about their quests to join the European Union, but countries in the volatile Balkans region that have waited years longer to become members of the world’s biggest trading bloc appeared to slip back in the queue.
In a series of reports on countries wanting to join the bloc’s ranks, the EU’s executive branch recommended that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks, once it’s addressed some shortfalls.
The European Commission lauded Ukraine, where Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, saying that the government “has shown a remarkable level of institutional strength, determination and ability to function.” But it said that talks should only start once it has addressed corruption, lobbying concerns, and restrictions that might prevent national minorities from studying and reading in their own language.
Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova, which has also been rocked by Russia’s invasion, was delivered a similar message.
“Moldova is the subject of constant destabilization efforts against its democracy,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “But like Ukraine, Moldova has undertaken significant reform efforts,” she said, signalling that talks should move forward once justice and anti-corruption conditions are met.
Georgia was told that it should officially be named as a candidate to join once it addresses shortcomings, including in the fight against corruption and election deficiencies. This doesn’t mean that it will start accession talks soon. The country will have to clear more reform hurdles before that can happen.
The commission’s proposals, outlined in annual progress reports, mostly provide technical guidance to the 27 EU member states on how much progress countries have made in aligning their laws and standards with those of the bloc.
EU leaders are expected to decide whether to…
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