Business news from Ukraine

EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL INSIST ON GRANTING UKRAINE STATUS OF CANDIDATE FOR EU MEMBERSHIP – MEDIA

The European Commission will insist on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate member of the EU, the final decision rests with the European Council, Politico reported.
“The European Commission will recommend granting Ukraine formal EU candidate status, according to several officials familiar with discussions that took place during a debate among commission members on Monday,” the statement said on Tuesday night.
The debate in the College of Commissioners followed a visit on Saturday by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv, where she discussed Ukraine’s membership bid with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials have pushed for formal recognition as an EU candidate country, saying the appointment would provide an invaluable morale boost during the war. “They repeatedly noted that after the 2013-2014 Maidan revolution, the citizens of Ukraine repeatedly risked their lives – and indeed, thousands have now died – fighting for a free, democratic future in the EU,” the publication stressed.
“The Commission does not forget that Ukraine is the only country in Europe where people died, where people were shot because they were on the streets with EU flags. Now we cannot tell them: “Sorry guys, you were waving the wrong flag” , – quotes his source Politico.
It is noted that supporters of Ukraine’s bid said that any delay in granting candidate status would be deeply demoralizing for Ukraine, as invading Russian troops temporarily occupy large swaths of the south and east of the country and seek to capture the entire eastern region of Donbass.
During discussions about the status of the candidates for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, many EU officials and diplomats noted the sensitivity, given the slow pace of accession of the Western Balkans, which was declared a candidate country more than 10 years ago.
“Monday’s debate among commissioners raised broader questions about what an enlarged EU might look like in the future, including whether there would still be one commissioner per member state. The discussion also touched on the possibility that the upcoming summit, some EU leaders may try to impose conditions on Ukraine’s candidacy or return to the idea of granting some new status that does not correspond to the official candidacy.
According to the information from the representative of the Elysee Palace, the status of the candidate, if it is granted, will be only the beginning of a much longer process.
“Once Ukraine potentially gets candidate status, we also have to see when negotiations start. And you know that the EU membership methodology provides for chapter-by-chapter negotiations and reversible negotiations depending on how the country develops. So there are requirements that are in line with EU standards. , and in any case they will be very demanding of Ukraine,” the spokesman said.
In Kyiv, Igor Zhovkva, deputy head of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s office, said there was no alternative to nominating a candidate. “We will not accept any alternatives, nor compromises, as some leaders tell us, nor deviations from this candidate status,” Zhovkva was quoted as saying by the publication.

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ENGLISH CAN GET STATUS OF LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN UKRAINE

The government of Ukraine is discussing granting English the status of the language of business communication in the country, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.
“English can get the status of the language of business communication in Ukraine. We discussed this possibility at a government meeting,” Shmyhal wrote on the Telegram channel.
According to him, the Cabinet of Ministers is currently working on a relevant legislative initiative.
“English is now used in business communication throughout the civilized world, so granting it such a status in Ukraine will help develop business, attract investment and accelerate Ukraine’s European integration,” the prime minister added.
Shmyhal noted that the relevant ministries were given the task of developing proposals and drawing up relevant documents.

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PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE ZELENSKY: WE DO NOT NEED ALTERNATIVES TO EU CANDIDATE STATUS

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky rejected possible alternatives to EU candidate status and called not to compare Ukraine with other countries that have received this status.
“We do not need alternatives to EU membership. We do not need compromises. These will not be compromises with Ukraine, this will be another compromise between Europe and Russia, “he said in Kyiv on Saturday after talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.
“For me, EU candidacy is an important signal. An important signal for our people, who defend their country and European values. I think this is a very important step. I understand that many countries have come a long way – years in terms of application and years in terms of membership, “said the President of Ukraine.
“It is incorrect to compare us with countries that have passed the peaceful path of candidacy. We are going through a war for freedom and independence, for these European values. We are not only wasting time. We lose people. I really want to believe that Portugal will also be on this side of the world, “Zelensky stressed.

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BY END OF JUNE, EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL DECIDE ON POSSIBILITY OF UKRAINE TO OBTAIN STATUS OF CANDIDATE FOR EU MEMBERSHIP

The European Commission will provide an opinion on Ukraine’s possibility of obtaining the status of a candidate member of the EU by the end of June, after which the European Council will be able to start a discussion on this issue, President of the European Council Charles Michel said.
“We will have the opinion of the Commission by the end of June. And it will be my responsibility to assess when I can put this issue on the agenda of the European Council, to make sure that we have a political discussion, a dialogue, to make progress on this path. But I I want to say that I feel very strong support to make sure that we can provide concrete support to Ukraine in your choice to follow the path to the EU in your future,” Michel said at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday.
He stressed that Ukraine demonstrates adherence to democratic principles and freedoms every day.
“You are fighting not only for the future of the children of Ukraine. We know that you are fighting for European fundamental principles and values,” Michel stressed.

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PM OF UKRAINE HOPES THAT COUNTRY WILL RECEIVE STATUS OF EU CANDIDATE NO LATER THAN JUNE 2022

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal hopes that Ukraine will receive the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union no later than June 2022.
“We met with the leadership of the European Union in Kyiv. Received a questionnaire that must be completed in order to obtain candidate status for EU membership. We started working on it. We expect that Ukraine will be able to receive such a status no later than June of this year,” Shmygal said in his address on Tuesday evening.

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LITHUANIA’S SEIMAS CALLS ON EU COUNTRIES TO GRANT CANDIDATE STATUS TO UKRAINE

Lithuania’s Seimas has adopted a resolution in which it invited all member states of the European Union to support Ukraine’s aspirations to become a full member of the EU as soon as possible and to agree on granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate.

“The Lithuanian Seimas unanimously adopted a resolution, which invites all member states of the European Union to support Ukraine’s aspiration to become a full member of the European Union as soon as possible, and to agree on granting the EU candidate status to Ukraine,” the Lithuanian Seimas tweeted on Thursday.

“The Seimas resolution also states that “Ukraine should be subject to an accelerated procedure for accession to the European Union without reservation”,” LRT.LT reports.

“Granting Ukraine the candidate status at this time would be an important sign of moral support for its people, who are defending their homeland and their right to decide their country’s future, without sparing their lives,” the resolution reads.

“The Seimas also maintains that admitting a country whose people have shown “incredible will and determination in their fight for European values” to the European Union “will inspire and strengthen the Union itself”,” it reads.

The resolution notes that Ukraine has been seeking EU membership for more than a decade and that Ukraine and the EU have been bound by the Association Agreement for the past five years. Thus, according to the resolution, Ukraine’s application to join the EU is the result of its strong commitment to European integration.

Also in the resolution, the Lithuanian Seimas confirms its readiness to provide Ukraine with all possible assistance in its quest for EU membership.

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