European integration is not a path of gifts, so Ukraine is doing its part – Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the meeting with the Presidents of the European Council and Moldova in[...]

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Ukraine is implementing the recommendations necessary for a political decision to start negotiations on membership in the European Union and expects a positive result by the end of this year. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with media representatives after negotiations with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu in Kyiv.

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"In the ten years since the beginning of Maidan, Ukrainians have covered a significant part of our path to the EU. The whole of Europe believed in Ukraine and understood us. Ukrainians managed to guarantee the preservation of freedom for the whole of Europe," the Head of State emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that the visit of the President of the European Council and the President of Moldova to Kyiv on the Day of Dignity and Freedom symbolizes that Ukraine's success on the European path is a success for its neighbors as well.

"Our cooperation with Moldova, including economic cooperation, has already proved that we, together with our partners, are able to strengthen our region, our Europe and effectively counter Russian attempts to spread aggression and poverty," he said.

The President informed that during the meeting with Maia Sandu, he discussed how to increase opportunities for the two states, in particular, in terms of security and jobs for citizens of Ukraine and Moldova.

"I am confident that the people of Moldova, together with all of us, together with the whole of Europe, will achieve social justice and long-term, stable economic growth," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

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For her part, Maia Sandu emphasized that the people of Ukraine and Moldova have chosen the democratic European path of development.

She called on all EU countries to support membership negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova at the next European Council meeting in December in Brussels.

"With EU enlargement, two things are most important - unity and speed. Unlike the Russian strategy to divide and conquer, our most powerful defense is unity, we must speak with one voice, demonstrating that our collective will is unshakable and inviolable. This is not just a strategic choice, it is a matter of survival and European stability," the President of Moldova said.

During his meeting with the President of the European Council, Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine's progress in implementing the European Commission's recommendations for starting negotiations on EU membership.

"Ukraine realizes that any country's path to the EU is a path of merit, not gifts. Ukraine is doing its part. We believe that the European Union will be willing to meet us halfway - as promised - so that by the end of the year, in December, the result will be a political decision to start negotiations on accession and bring the process of full integration closer," the Head of State emphasized.

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For his part, President of the European Council Charles Michel noted Ukraine's progress in moving closer to the EU and said that this reform process should continue. According to him, the European Union will continue to support Ukraine, as the Russian war poses a threat to European security as well.

Charles Michel is convinced that the enlargement of the European Union will make it stronger and will create new opportunities to protect fundamental values.

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ph	Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with the President of the European Council and the President of Moldova 21 November 2023 - 16:26