Zelenskyy and European Commission President Agree on Pre-accession Screening of Ukraine to Begin in a Week
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As reported by the Office of the President of Ukraine, the parties discussed key priorities on the agenda of relations between Ukraine and the EU in the near future, especially in the context of Ukraine approaching the start of negotiations on EU accession.
Zelenskyy and von der Leyen agreed to initiate the screening of Ukrainian legislation, which is a further step towards opening negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union.
"Our agreement foresees that the screening is set to start as soon as the Ukrainian delegation arrives in Brussels. The government must ensure this happens no later than within a week," said Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in a comment to European Pravda.
Zelenskyy also emphasised their focus on the need to unlock the decision on providing Ukraine with EUR 50 billion euros in long-term assistance from the EU at the EU Council summit on 1 February, where Ukraine hopes to achieve consensus on this matter.
At the same time, von der Leyen announced on Twitter that the European Commission is advancing the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU and is providing resources for the recovery, reconstruction, and reform of Ukraine through a dedicated fund.
"Our hearts are with your soldiers on the frontline. Keeping faith in an EU future will give them strength," she said.
Dear @ZelenskyyUA, our hearts are with your soldiers on the frontline.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 16, 2024
Keeping faith in an EU future will give them strength.
The Commission is taking the accession process forward.
And securing the means to recover, rebuild and reform via the Ukraine Facility. pic.twitter.com/dLMtW5keiX
Earlier, the media reported that on 27 February, the European Commission may release an assessment of Ukraine's progress with European integration reforms, upon which the actual start of accession negotiations depends.
Ukraine’s interest is the verdict on additional reforms outlined in the enlargement report released in November. Their implementation is a condition for the adoption of the negotiating framework.
In December, the European Union's leaders at a summit in Brussels accepted the European Commission's recommendation to begin accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine.