Sikorski: Poland will not block opening of the six negotiation clusters on Ukraine’s accession to EU
Poland will not block the opening of six negotiation clusters regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
This was stated by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski during a press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on Sunday, according to Censor.NET.
Sikorski pledged his support for the negotiations
According to the Polish minister, Ukraine’s negotiations on EU accession will not be straightforward. He compared them to Poland’s own process of joining the European Union.
"I would like to confirm that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will not be easy. Just as ours were not easy when we joined. But Poland will not block the opening of the negotiation clusters," the Polish minister noted.
At the same time, Sikorski emphasised that support for the opening of negotiation clusters does not mean a swift conclusion to the entire negotiation process.
The minister also noted that, according to the European Commission’s assessment, Ukraine is already ready for negotiations.
Poland supports Ukraine’s further integration
Sikorski expressed the hope that Ukraine would complete the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU, in particular the Agreement on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.
He noted that Ukraine could gain access to the EU single market even before full accession to the European Union.
"You can be part of the single market even before you join the European Union," emphasised Sikorski.
Separately, the Polish Foreign Minister gave assurances that Poland, together with other partners, would seek to increase international aid to Ukraine.
According to him, Warsaw will also put pressure on those who still hold Russian assets to ensure they do not return to the aggressor. Sikorski advocated using these funds to support Ukraine and its reconstruction.
We previously reported that on Tuesday, 8 September, Hungary once again blocked the opening of clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine in negotiations with the EU.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated in early September that Budapest would support Ukraine’s accession to the EU only on condition that standard procedures were followed and the rights of the Hungarian minority were respected.
