European Union nations have agreed to begin a process of examining membership bids submitted by the former Soviet republics of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
France said on Monday that member countries agreed at an ambassador-level meeting to ask the European Commission to start procedures for holding membership talks with the three countries.
The process includes assessing the political and economic situation of each country to see if they are eligible to negotiate a membership.
Ukraine applied for EU membership on February 28, following the Russian invasion. Georgia and Moldova, which are increasingly concerned about further Russian aggression, announced their applications to join the bloc last Thursday.
In order to open membership negotiations, the unanimous agreement of all member countries is required.
European Council President Charles Michel last week highlighted the challenges of membership applications, saying there were “different opinions and sensitivities” within the EU on its enlargement. – NHK.
