While welcoming the fact that Ukraine has obtained candidate status for EU membership, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna stressed on Thursday, 14 July, that her country’s priority was reconstruction.
“But in this time while there is a discussion on [accession—Ed.] negotiations to start, we, of course, prioritise the reconstruction efforts and a fast recovery, which should be addressed in a very immediate way to make sure that [for] the new winter and the new heating season [...], our people feel more safe”, she explained during a press conference with Czech Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek in Prague.
Ms Stefanishyna also explained that her country was committed to ensuring that the reform agenda was closely aligned with reconstruction and investment efforts so that Ukraine would be in line with EU standards. “In that regard, the candidate status has become the driver of the new concentration of [the] Ukrainian administration on the reforms agenda. For us, it’s really important”, she added.
The minister hoped that the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU would pave the way for “fast and legitimate and justified” enlargement procedures for Ukraine. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)