EU Ambassador: We adhere to plan to open all negotiation clusters with Ukraine this year
The EU is adhering to the plan to open all negotiation clusters with Ukraine in 2025 and is working with Hungary to overcome difficulties, said European Union Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová.
In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday, the ambassador said that she believed they were still very much adhering to the plan to open all clusters that year.
The ambassador noted that the plan has obviously encountered certain difficulties, but the European Commission is actively working to overcome them.
Mathernová said that at the previous day’s meeting, there had been a lot of discussion on the matter. She added that she still remained optimistic and believed that the EU would eventually find a solution. She expressed hope that they could open the clusters and continue on the path of integration.
Asked how the EU intends to resolve the "difficulties" caused by Hungary's position, the ambassador said that it is looking for ways to take into account the concerns of the Hungarian side.
She added that it was not the first time a country had faced difficulties due to a situation requiring unanimity. She noted that, as was known, they had encountered a similar issue with North Macedonia, for example. Therefore, she said, it was necessary to find ways to overcome it. She expressed confidence that this would happen within the year and stated that she was very optimistic.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said that Ukraine "has a very ambitious goal" to open all negotiation clusters with the European Union by 2025.
