Romania offers support to Ukraine and Moldova as they continue difficult road towards EU accession

Описание: (24 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bucharest, Romania - 24 July 2024
1. Various of ministers at news conference
2. Close of camera
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration:
“European Union has stood by Ukraine, by Moldova, and said that this war will be over and Ukraine and Moldova will become a member of the European Union. Hardly one could have imagined back in the beginning of 2022, a stronger signal, which could have been sent to Ukrainian people and to everyone, who have been struggling to survive.”
4. Mid of cameras
5. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Cristina Gherasimov, Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration:
“History calls us again. The Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia made their decision freely. They chose freedom against oppression, they chose democracy over dependency. And some of them pay a high price for this choice. So, we must make our decision and show a determined engagement: the future is free and prosperous within the (European) Union.”
6. Mid of cameraperson
6. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Luminița Odobescu, Romania's Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“Romania wants a just and durable peace - based on the UN charter and international laws - with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
7. Close of camera
8. SOUNDBITE (Romania) Luminița Odobescu, Romania's Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“Romania actively supports the integration of Moldova and Ukraine in the EU from political, diplomatic and practical points of view.”
9. Mid of photographer
10. Ministers posing for photos, leaving
STORYLINE:
Romania offered its support to Ukraine and Moldova in their accession negotiations to join the European Union as ministers from the three countries met in Bucharest on Wednesday.

Ukraine and Moldova applied to join the EU in the days and weeks after Russia invaded in February 2022.

By June 2022, EU leaders had quickly made it all official.

But things have moved more slowly since then for Kyiv and membership, if it comes, might be years away.

“Hardly one could have imagined, back in the beginning of 2022, a stronger signal, which could have been sent to Ukrainian people and to everyone who have been struggling to survive," said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna.

Stefanishyna was speaking alongside Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov and Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu.

To join the EU, candidate countries must go through a lengthy process to align their laws and standards with those of the bloc and meet a host of economic and political conditions, including a commitment to the rule of law and other democratic principles.

Ukraine, for instance, will have to curb entrenched government corruption and adopt other reforms.

Moldova, a neighbor of Ukraine, has repeatedly accused Russia of conducting a “hybrid war” against the country, including alleging Moscow meddled in local elections and is running vast disinformation campaigns to try to topple the government and derail its path to joining the EU.

Russia has denied the accusations.

AP video shot by Nicolae Dumitrache

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