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Hungary greenlights another cluster in Ukraine's EU accession talks

The next accession cluster in Ukraine’s membership talks will open on July 14

BUDAPEST, July 3. /TASS/. Hungary has agreed to the European Union opening another accession cluster for Ukraine but continues to oppose efforts to accelerate the process, former Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs Janos Boka said after the government's decision.

"Following an unanimous decision by EU member states, the next accession cluster in Ukraine’s membership talks will open on July 14, just one month after the previous one. This will bring the number of open clusters to two out of six. Ukraine has nearly caught up with Serbia in the accession process, leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Kosovo behind," Boka wrote on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which is designated as extremist).

"However, no one should be misled by these developments. This is not a fast-track accession process but a procedure based solely on real achievements," the ex-minister stressed.

"It’s a good thing that we don’t back Ukraine’s fast-track accession to the EU," Boka added.

EU countries decided to open the first cluster in Ukraine’s accession talks, covering the rule of law and fundamental rights, on June 15. The second cluster, focusing on international relations, foreign policy and security, is now set to open on July 14, while the remaining four clusters will remain closed for the time being.

Hungary’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar agreed to opening the first cluster in EU-Ukraine talks after Kiev pledged to restore the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia Region. The agreement reached by Budapest and Kiev was incorporated into Ukraine’s EU accession plan. Magyar warned, however, that Hungary opposed Ukraine’s fast-track membership, saying Kiev must meet the same requirements as other candidate countries. He also warned that the accession talks would be suspended if Ukraine failed to fulfill its commitments to Hungary.

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Ukraine Hungary

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