Ukraine and EU should start pre-accession talks before end of 2023 - FM

MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) - Ukraine expects tangible practical results from its summit with the European Union and a positive assessment of the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations, which will pave the way for the start of pre-accession negotiations in 2023, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said.

"We have high expectations from the EU-Ukraine Summit on February 3. We count on tangible practical results," Ukrainian media quoted Kuleba as saying in an online speech at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday.

Ukraine is in the final stages of implementing the European Commission's recommendations and is looking forward to a positive report from the European Commission this spring, he said.

Ukraine also expects a positive assessment of its efforts to implement the recommendations to be included in the final declaration of the EU-Ukraine Summit on February 3, the minister said.

"We are convinced that the pre-accession negotiations should start as soon as possible after Ukraine's implementation of the recommendations and the European Commission's positive assessment. Ukraine is making every effort, and I am convinced that we should start the pre-accession negotiations before the end of 2023. No games or narrow political interests should stand in the way," Kuleba said.