BRUSSELS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Monday that Ukraine's future lies in the European Union (EU), as the country prepares to open two new clusters of accession negotiations with the bloc.
Kallas made the remarks at a press conference following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
She welcomed Ukraine's adoption of the necessary legislation earlier in the day, which paved the way for the opening of the two negotiating clusters on Tuesday.
"Ukraine's future is in the EU," Kallas said, adding that EU member states had indicated that the process should proceed smoothly.
The two clusters cover the "Internal Market" and "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth," according to the Council of the EU.
Kallas also said EU enlargement is not just about expanding the bloc's membership, but also about making Europe safer and stronger geopolitically.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted candidate status in June of the same year. The EU formally launched accession negotiations with Ukraine in June 2024.
Under EU rules, candidate countries must meet political and economic criteria and demonstrate their ability to fulfill the obligations of EU membership. Accession requires unanimous approval by EU member states, the consent of the European Parliament and ratification of an accession treaty by all member states and the candidate country.
EU accession negotiations typically take years to conclude, and the opening of negotiations does not guarantee membership. ■
