Ukraine 'optimistic' about EU membership chances

Speaking at a conference in Berlin, Ukraine’s foreign minister said the country's EU membership bid should not be held up by bloc reforms.

Transcript

00:00 Ukraine says it feels optimistic about the opening of EU accession talks this year.

00:06 Speaking at a ministerial conference in Berlin on Thursday,

00:09 Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba highlighted the efforts Kiev has made to fulfill its obligations,

00:15 even in the face of the Russian invasion.

00:18 Our main position that I brought from Kiev is that EU reform should not take enlargement process as a hostage

00:29 and we have to find the right balance between the process of reforming the EU and continuing with enlargement.

00:38 The EU is in the midst of a broad renewal process

00:41 and there is an ongoing debate on whether the bloc should complete its reforms before accepting new members

00:47 or whether to expand first and then work on change together.

00:51 Representatives will meet mid-December in Brussels to discuss enlargement

00:55 as well as membership bids from Ukraine and Moldova.

00:58 (whooshing)