The head of the Ukrainian government emphasizes that joining the European Union should be an integral part of a just peace.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal states that the country aims to be ready for EU membership by no later than the end of 2025.
He made this statement during a press conference on September 10.
"Our goal is ambitious - we want to be ready for EU membership by the end of 2025 at the latest. However, we understand strategically that our accession to the European Union must be an inseparable part of a just peace. This is our strategic goal," Shmyhal said.
He added that achieving this would require monumental work, particularly on the technical side. This includes aligning Ukrainian legislation and all subordinate acts with EU directives and rules - amounting to tens of thousands of documents.
"The political decision remains with the EU member states regarding Ukraine's acceptance as an EU member. This involves extensive technical work that does not entail flashy political statements but consists of daily, tireless, quiet effort," the Prime Minister explained.
Shmyhal also reminded that Ukraine had already made significant progress in the area of Eurointegration this year.
"We have received a decision to begin negotiations for EU membership and continue to actively pursue this work. We have obtained and approved the negotiation framework, started and are successfully continuing the screening of our legislation. Not only have we received approval for the Ukraine Facility, but we have also prepared for it by developing a reform plan and approved a unique tool - the "Reform Matrix", which for this year alone includes over 400 measures that Ukraine must implement as part of our signed commitments," the head of the government stated.
He adds that the Cabinet of Ministers, together with the Verkhovna Rada, are closely monitoring and ensuring the implementation of these measures to clearly advance according to the Eurointegration reform schedule.
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