Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Boka asserted on Tuesday that Ukraine is "far from meeting the accession criteria" for the European Union.
His statement coincided with the EU's initiation of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, as reported by Ziare.
Challenges Ahead for Ukraine's EU Bid
Boka emphasized the challenges Ukraine faces in meeting EU criteria, stating, "It is difficult to say at what stage Ukraine stands. From my point of view, it is far from meeting the accession criteria." '
His comments were made upon his arrival at the meeting where the EU was scheduled to commence its first round of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.
Hungary's Demands and EU Process
Despite the easing of tensions, the Hungarian minister highlighted that his government had presented Ukraine with a list of 11 demands, with the "most important" being "the maintenance of the legal framework that the institutions of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine had in 2015, especially in the fields of culture and education."
Following Tuesday's meeting, the European Commission will need to assess the overall legislation of Ukraine and Moldova to identify necessary reforms before opening the first chapters of the accession process, which include up to 33 sections ranging from the rule of law and EU values to the structure of their economies.
Hungary, set to assume the rotating presidency of the EU on July 1st, has already indicated its intention to promote accession talks with Western Balkan countries but has expressed reservations regarding Ukraine and Moldova during the latter half of this year.
