EU candidate status for Ukraine ‘would send message’
and live on Freeview channel 276
Ukraine is currently in the early stages of applying for EU membership.
The taoiseach said that for a long time he had backed a “faster, more accelerated” process towards EU membership more generally.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSpeaking at the ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) party congress in Dublin, he said: “What is vital is that we have acceptance of Ukraine’s application to become a candidate country.”
“It can take a significant length of time, but that would be a very significant decision in itself and a very significant message to the Ukrainian people, that you are part of the European family.
“And already, if you look at the interaction between the European Union and Ukraine in terms of customs, in terms of the welcome across the European continent for the Ukrainian people, it is very clear to me that the future of Ukraine is within the European Union.”
Mr Martin would not speculate on what the timeline should be, but said that he would be pushing for “the shortest possible timeframe” for Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOlha Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, who met with the taoiseach at the ALDE congress, said that Ukraine needed to be granted candidate status by the EU, and that it needed promises to materialise.
“All the history, of Ukraine’s independence has been done with promises.
“From Budapest when Ukraine withdrew from the nuclear weapons, to Bucharest when Ukraine was promised membership to Nato, which has never materialised.
“Since that time we’ve had three wars on European soil, two of which are now taking place on our territory.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“So we’ve submitted the application, to be integrated to European Union, we need promises to be materialised into concrete decisions as a candidate status.”
“This is the ultimate decision at this stage.
“Further discussions on an enlargement policy on the way towards membership, this takes time, we are ready to take as long as it needs.”