Informal Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting-Gymnich

During their meeting, the EU foreign affairs ministers supported the plans of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore democracy in Niger and to seek a fair peace in Ukraine. 

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EU ministers also discussed the prospects for Ukraine's application to join the European Union with Kuleba. In this respect, José Manuel Albares reiterated that “we are awaiting the European Commission's report on the progress of the reform package proposed by Brussels as a prerequisite for starting the accession negotiations phase.” He stressed that “it will be up to the Spanish Presidency to take the historic decision to embark on the next steps to open negotiations for Ukraine's entry into the European Union.” “What we all want,” he added, “is for Ukraine to be a free and independent country, sovereign within its internationally recognised borders, as soon as possible.”