Ukraine’s accession to European Union will solve food problem - head of Foreign Ministry of Portugal, Rangel
EU enlargement is key for Portugal, so the accession of Ukraine is fundamental for this country, said Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
As Censor.NET informs, Euractiv writes about it.
"The Portuguese government's position on enlargement is very favorable for strategic reasons, and for that reason it does not have the reticence or reluctance that the previous government had," Rangel said.
Ukraine's accession to the EU, according to Portugal's foreign minister, will provide the bloc with an "economic opportunity" because there has been "economic dynamism" every time there has been an expansion, and also because it is a "clearly pro-Atlantic country."
"We in Europe need Atlantic allies," Rangel said
He also explained that the accession of Ukraine, rejecting the idea that the enlargement would be a "turn to the east".
As a reminder, the European Commission has started an official screening within the framework of preparations for the start of negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU of negotiating chapter 11 "Agriculture and development of rural areas". According to Latvian President Edgars Rinkevičs, the negotiation process regarding the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union will be extremely difficult. However, he believes that it is "quite realistic" to start negotiations already in June this year.
