On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country was attacked by Russia a week ago, called on the European Union to accept Ukraine immediately.
Earlier on Thursday, another former Soviet republic, Georgia, also applied for EU membership, AFP reported.
Turkey praises the European Union’s efforts to include Ukraine in the bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, and called on Brussels to be equally sensitive to Turkey’s accession process.
Asked about Ukraine’s bid for EU membership at a press conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey, a candidate for EU membership for decades, would support any NATO and EU enlargement.
“We appreciate Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU. But I ask EU members why Turkey’s EU membership worries you?” he said.
He called on the bloc to show “the same sensitivity” it showed to Kyiv’s bid for Turkey’s membership, and criticized member states for “not being sincere”.
“Will you put Turkey on your agenda when someone attacks us too?” He said.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Ukraine’s “immediate accession” to the EU.
“We call on the European Union to join Ukraine immediately under a new special procedure,” Zelensky told the nation.
Turkey is a candidate for EU accession, but accession talks are stalled due to a number of problematic issues. Turkey has been applying for EU membership since 1987, and accession talks began in 2005. But negotiations stalled in 2007 due to objections from Cyprus, as well as resistance from Germany and France.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an EU bid for Ukraine a day after eight bloc countries – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia – voiced support for Zelensky’s call.
Erdogan also reiterated his call for “both Russia and Ukraine to cease fire as soon as possible,” Erdogan said, urging Moscow and Kyiv to “make a good contribution to world peace.”
Erdogan reiterated that Turkey, which has the second largest army in the alliance, supports NATO enlargement.
With war on its doorstep, Moldova is officially applying for EU membership
It has taken 30 years for Moldova to reach maturity, but it is now ready to take responsibility for its own future, President Maya Sandu said
The Republic of Moldova is officially applying to join the European Union. President Maya Sandu signed the document on March 3rd, the government said in its Telegram channel, specifically open to communication with citizens and the media during the country’s state of emergency due to the situation in neighboring Ukraine.
“It took Moldova 30 years to reach maturity, but today the country is ready to take responsibility for its own future,” Sandu said before picking up the signed document in front of television cameras, Reuters reported.
“We want to live in peace, prosperity, be part of the free world. While some decisions take time, others must be made quickly and decisively, taking advantage of the opportunities that come with a changing world,” she said.
The application will be sent to Brussels in the coming days, she said.
In 2014, Moldova signed an association agreement with the EU. However, it does not contain any guarantees for further integration, AFP notes.
