European integration will be everywhere - from Sevastopol to Kyiv - Stefanishyna
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine will insist on full territorial integration without any restrictions in the EU membership agreement, citing the precedent of Cyprus and demanding guarantees of inclusion of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Ukraine will insist that the EU membership agreement should not contain any territorial restrictions. Referring to the precedent of Cyprus, we will demand guarantees of full territorial integration within the framework of the agreement. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna during a broadcast from the parliament, UNN reports.
Regarding the war and membership in the European Union. This is my principled position based on legal arguments related to the process of signing the Association Agreement. The Association Agreement was signed when Crimea was annexed, when military operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions started. But the Association Agreement does not contain any provision on its territorial application. Just as the agreement on Ukraine's membership should not contain such restrictions
She noted that the European Commission has a special procedure that includes issuing recommendations for conducting business in countries where part of the territory is beyond the control of the government.
"There is the example of Cyprus, so in our negotiating framework we will proceed from the fact that there can be no restrictions on the territorial application of the agreement. European integration will be everywhere - from Sevastopol to Kyiv," Stefanishyna said.
Recall
The decision on approval of the negotiation framework with the EU is expected in late June after the European Parliament elections, as agreed with the EU leaders. Ukraine has fulfilled all its obligations within the framework of these negotiations, and all the necessary documents will be ready by the end of May.
