KIEV, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday approved a law on tightening the financial monitoring of politically exposed persons (PEPs), which was required by the European Union (EU) for launching accession talks, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.
"This is the last step for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU," Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram.
The legislation was supported by 276 votes in favor in the 450-seat parliament, Zheleznyak said.
The new law, aimed at fighting corruption, stipulates that a person once deemed to be a PEP will retain the status for a lifetime instead of three years as it was previously.
In June 2022, EU leaders accepted Ukraine as a candidate for membership in the bloc.
The Ukrainian government set a target to launch accession talks by the end of this year. ■
