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Moldova begins accession talks with EU

The first meeting of the EU-Moldova Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg was broadcast by the European Union External Action Service

BRUSSELS, June 25. /TASS/. Moldova, like Ukraine, has officially started talks on joining the European Union.

The first meeting of the EU-Moldova Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg was broadcast by the European Union External Action Service (EEAS).

EU accession talks have no deadlines. Turkey is a record holder in terms of the duration of EU accession talks, as it has been conducting them for 19 years but still has no prospects for completing them successfully.

The conference was attended by Hadja Lahbib, the foreign minister of Belgium, which is currently holding presidency of the Council of the European Union, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, and Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean.

"We have embarked on a long road, but you will not be alone. The European Union will always be with you," Lahbib said in her opening remarks. She promised that "special attention will be focused on a court reform, anti-corruption efforts, and the protection of the right of minorities."

The EU accession talks are divided into 35 negotiating chapters covering all spheres, from healthcare to foreign policy, from education to financial markets. A candidate country is supposed to comply with all EU requirements and harmonize its laws with Europe’s.

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