Petro Poroshenko: Ukraine will apply for EU membership in 2023

Ukraine plans to prepare the conditions for applying for membership in the European Union in 2023. This was stated by President Petro Poroshenko during the 12th Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

“My ambition is explicit: to ensure the successful implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, and in 2023, when this stage of reforms would be completed in order for us to meet the criteria and apply for membership in the European Union,” he noticed.

Mr. Poroshenko believes that only full membership in the EU and NATO finally guarantees the independence of Ukraine, and he calls these steps - the essence of his program. He added that a referendum on NATO membership will be held when the relevant amendments to the Constitution on delegation of sovereign powers would be prepared.

“The referendum will be when we prepare for accession and when the country, the people, will introduce changes to the Constitution, delegating a part of sovereign powers. But it should be done now and already, and not to be postponed,” the President said.

FOR REFERENCE:

The annual international event Kyiv Security Forum was launched by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation in 2007. Since then, the Forum has become a platform for high-level international discussions on current issues of national security, security issues of the Black Sea region, Europe and the world.