The European Union has begun preparations to formally open the first negotiating cluster in accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, raising hopes of progress after a two-year delay.
Cyprus, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said on Wednesday that the first stage of negotiations could be launched as early as June 15 on the sidelines of a meeting of EU ministers in Luxembourg.
Although the EU formally opened accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in June 2024, the start of substantive negotiations with Ukraine was blocked by a veto from Hungary.
Progress resumed after the April election defeat of former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. His successor, Péter Magyar, said on Wednesday that Hungary and Ukraine had reached an agreement aimed at strengthening the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine, a key condition for Budapest's support.
The first negotiating cluster focuses on fundamental issues including the rule of law, judicial reform and public administration standards.
EU accession negotiations are typically lengthy and can take many years to complete. The process is divided into six thematic clusters and does not guarantee eventual membership.
The bloc's talks with Turkey, for example, began in 2005 but have effectively been frozen for years over concerns about democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
