On 25 June 2024, the Parliamentary Secretary Dace Melbārde took part in the European Union’s Intergovernmental Conferences with Ukraine and Moldova. Dace Melbārde congratulated the two countries upon launching of the formal process of accession negotiations with them, and commended their current progress on reforms. She also reaffirmed Latvia’s support to Ukraine and Moldova in the further accession process, while emphasising that it will call for serious effort to be made.
Both the Intergovernmental Conferences were chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib. The participants also included the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, and representatives from all EU Member States. Ukraine was represented by its Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olga Stefanishyna, while the Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal delivered an address via videoconferencing. Moldova, for its part, was represented by the country’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean.
The Intergovernmental Conference, or Accession Conference, marks the formal opening of accession negotiations following a unanimous approval of the negotiating framework by the EU Council. The frameworks for accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova were approved this past 21 June.
After the conferences, the European Commission will take further steps to formally begin an assessment of the level of alignment of Ukraine and Moldova’s national framework with EU legislation (screening of the acquis).