By Martin Banks

The EPP group, the biggest in the EU parliament, said it “it is with great satisfaction” that the European Commission has now  recommended to start EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.

Comment came from one of its senior MEPs Rasa Juknevičienė who is Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in charge of Foreign Affairs.

The Euro deputy told this site: “Without a doubt, Ukraine deserves this. It is not only fighting for itself but also for the safety and security of the whole of Europe.”

“Together, we are much stronger. We will continue to do our utmost to help Ukraine fulfil the requirements as soon as possible”, stressed Juknevičienė/

The EPP Group  says it “has always encouraged and supported Ukraine’s right to choose its European path and alliances freely.”

It has spearheaded the work towards the conclusion and implementation of the Association Agreement, said a spokesman.

He went on, “It also initiated the calls to grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and to start accession negotiations as soon as possible this year.”

The EPP Group  said it now calls for granting EU membership to Ukraine before the end of this decade, provided that Kyiv implements all necessary reforms.

The Group also strongly supports Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

For Moldova, Siegfried Mureşan MEP said that starting accession negotiations was a “straightforward and welcome decision”. 

Mureşan, Vice-Chair of the EPP Group and Chair of the EP Delegation for relations with Moldova, stressed that the first EU-Moldova Intergovernmental Negotiation Conference, where the parties will conduct the talks, must follow this decision as soon as possible.

“Our safety and stability within the European Union depends on how safe, stable, and better EU-integrated our neighbours are. Hence, the European integration of the Republic of Moldova makes us all stronger and safer.  It is important that the negotiations start early next year, before the European elections. It will help to set our first priorities, which in turn can be negotiated at a technical level in the second part of the year,” Mureşan insisted.