Approved! EU countries endorse Ukraine and Moldova as official candidates to join bloc
Ukraine has been granted official European Union candidate status, after being endorsed by the bloc's 27 leaders during a summit in Brussels.
Moldova was also granted candidate status while Georgia was left on the waiting list, pending reforms to ensure the country's political stability."A historic moment," said European Council President Charles Michel. "Today marks a crucial step on your path towards the EU."Michel then congratulated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Moldovan President Maia Sandu and added "our future is together."Candidate status is a largely symbolic designation that recognises the selected country is on track to begin the lengthy, complex and often tortuous accession process.The candidacy doesn't automatically guarantee the start of negotiations, let alone their conclusion. Over the past decades, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey were granted candidate status, with very limited progress towards becoming members.
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