Lithuania says EU will open sixth negotiating cluster for Ukraine on Tuesday, others in autumn
The remaining negotiating clusters for Ukraine's EU accession talks will be postponed until autumn after the sixth cluster is opened on 14 July.
Source: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 13 July, as reported by European Pravda
Details: After the opening of the first and sixth negotiating clusters for Ukraine, the remaining clusters will be postponed until autumn, Budrys said.
Quote: "There were no objective obstacles to open all the clusters already this July. But we tomorrow will open only the second, the sixth cluster, and we will postpone all the others till the autumn. So this delay again and again, from our perspective, is very counterproductive, as it postpones and also slows down the negotiations."
Background:
- The sixth negotiating cluster, External Relations, is due to be opened for Ukraine in Brussels on 14 July.
- The move follows Hungary's unilateral decision to block approval of the screening results for Clusters 2-6 for Ukraine and Moldova within the Council of the European Union's Working Party on Enlargement.
- After Ukraine pledged to meet Budapest's conditions regarding the Hungarian minority, Hungary agreed to the opening of the sixth cluster for Ukraine and Moldova.
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