00:00Untertitelung des ZDF für funk, 2017
00:33Untertitelung des ZDF für funk, 2017
01:00Untertitelung des ZDF für funk, 2017
01:03that we need to have a fast, comprehensive, normal accession process
01:10that will end with a signing of a Treaty of Accession under Article 49 of the Treaty of European Union.
01:16So this is normal accession.
01:19Everything else, I think that it doesn't matter, but we will see what else in the letter of Chancellor Merz.
01:31Do you see any sort of phased or partial integration for Ukraine or it's a no-go?
01:36So gradual integration is a term that exists within the accession process.
01:43So that from the 1st of January, 2026, we started Rome like at home
01:46when the project where Ukraine is treated like a member state of the European Union,
01:52so the same rights and the same obligations.
01:54We use an association agreement for these purposes.
01:58For us, the integration into the internal market even before the accession to the European Union
02:05is of utmost interest because our business wants to be treated as a business of the European Union
02:12with no trade barriers.
02:13But it should not decrease the attention or move any resources from accession negotiations.
02:23Ukraine set a target to complete all the internal obligations
02:27and be technically ready for the EU membership by the end of 2027.
02:31But it does take some time from candidates' countries to finally join the European Union.
02:37Is this something that Ukraine is ready to wait longer, much longer in this case?
02:42Here we still have certain prejudice towards Ukraine.
02:47For Ukraine, this decade started in like 15 years ago or even earlier
02:53when we negotiated association agreement.
02:55A lot of our policies are based on EU rules, so that like food safety or technical regulations.
03:03And as well in the most important topic as a rule of law,
03:06So what we are doing now is completing the reform that started in 2016 with review of the constitution.
03:14So that's why we absolutely rationally and in absolute sobriety
03:19know that all the benchmarks that are already defined by the European Union
03:26are easily implemented in the forthcoming 12-8 months.
03:30We are conscious that we are on the final stage of negotiations.
03:35We are not starting this.
03:37But there are some people in different member states who still believe that
03:40if Cluster 1 will open only like here in June, so now,
03:45then it will only start the process of reforms in Ukraine.
03:49It's otherwise.
03:50So the opening of a cluster will open the final countdown.
03:54We've heard this indication regarding June also from Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos
03:58when it comes to the Cluster 1, which is, of course, focused on democracy and the rule of law.
04:04She also said that she expects other clusters to open in July.
04:08What's your timeline?
04:09Our timeline is that we are already behind the deadline.
04:13Free clusters were ready to open a year ago
04:15when Hungary formally started blocking the consideration of the free packages.
04:21In December, the member states communicated the benchmarks for these clusters to us.
04:27It was like a front loading so that we broke through the process of opening of clusters.
04:35In March, we got benchmarks for the remaining three out of six clusters.
04:40So everything is already done.
04:42So that's why we're already behind the schedule.
04:45So that's why we believe that all six clusters can be open already in June.
04:50But now everything depends on the bureaucracy.
04:52So that all the minor steps that are left behind.
04:56And, of course, we still need to find the final arrangements with Hungary
05:00because they have relatively new government that still deals with a lot of issues.
05:05This is what I wanted to ask you, obviously, on Hungary and the Hungarian veto.
05:08For so long, the previous government's been blocking the opening of the clusters.
05:13Now, with the new government, things are changing.
05:16There are consultations now being held between Kyiv and Budapest.
05:20Do you see this consultation specifically on the issue of minorities in Ukraine,
05:25which is the cornerstone for Budapest and for the new government as well?
05:29Do you see this being sorted for the clusters opening in June?
05:34First, we already heard the statement of foreign foreign minister of Hungary and deputy prime minister Anita Orban
05:42that Hungary will not block anything so that in the European Union.
05:47So this is already like a major news for everyone.
05:50And we started very, very early on, 8th of May, we started consultations with Budapest on national minorities.
06:00And we need to be very clear that Ukraine treats Hungarian community in Ukraine with full, full respect.
06:07All their needs are satisfied, so this is not a commitment, this is reality.
06:13For us, they are absolutely integral part of Ukrainian society with full respects to their national identity.
06:22So we have almost 100 schools for Hungarian satisfying all demands.
06:26So that means that literally every pupil, every child in Ukraine that wants to learn in Hungarian or to learn
06:34Hungarian language while learning in Ukraine has this possibility to do it.
06:38What we offered as well to previous government, and we continue to do so with current government,
06:46is to fine-tune the legislation for everyone to be aware that this incredibly good atmosphere will not change eventually,
06:54I don't know,
06:55under some different circumstances.
06:58But we need this to be proved as well by the constructive steps of Hungary here in Brussels, in the
07:05Council,
07:06in different level of consideration of the packages for opening of the clusters, which we agreed will happen.
07:13So I think that by mid of June, everything will be okay, as if it will continue with the same
07:19pace.
07:20This fine-tuning, does it have to happen before the official opening of the cluster, before Hungary's veto is no
07:28longer there,
07:28or the commitment is enough and then the clusters could open with the commitment?
07:33In our opinion, so we already gave all necessary guarantees within cluster one,
07:39so that what we are discussing now is that what else might be needed for these guarantees.
07:46I think that the dialogue on national minorities between Ukraine and Hungary will last permanently.
07:53We also have a permanent commission on national minorities between Ukraine and Hungary.
07:59So what kind of form of, let's say, confirming this, you know, our will and interest,
08:08this is something that we are still discussing, so that I hope that we will see this news.
08:13Apart from Hungary, there might be other countries, potentially, that could block clusters for Ukraine,
08:20and you've indicated yourself that one of these countries might be Poland when it comes to agriculture.
08:26Yeah, there is no big secret, so that Polish agriculture treats Ukrainian agriculture as a competition.
08:32So last week was full of contacts with Polish government.
08:37I am co-chair of our intergovernmental commission with Poland, so we discussed all these things.
08:44So we see no intention to block opening of the clusters, but we see the good faith will to find
08:55a solution
08:56for these sensitive and complicated topics with Poland and our neighbors and with other member states as well.
09:03But this one will be the most delicate.
09:07Minister, another concern in Brussels when it comes to the pace of EU-oriented reforms in Ukraine
09:12is Kyiv's stance on corruption.
09:14There is an ongoing investigation, which also involves former chief of staff of the president of Ukraine.
09:20How do ongoing corruption cases impact confidence in the EU member states,
09:26both regarding the EU accession and regarding the currently unblocked 90 billion euros loan for Ukraine?
09:33First, all these investigations are indications that our anti-corruption framework works,
09:41works efficiently, is ambitious, is capable for investigations.
09:47So this is a really good news.
09:50Second is that Ukraine is now living through the war and the dramatic change of its political culture.
10:03Something that was a problem for the accession of Ukraine in the past, so 10 years ago, 15 years ago,
10:11so corruption, systemic corruption is now very dramatically and fast going into the past.
10:18It's like this page is like literally like is changing.
10:22Yeah, so that is like, so that's why for me this is something, the healthiest thing that is happening.
10:30Indeed, every corruption scandal still scandal.
10:34So that's why I think there are, there will be people who will treat this otherwise.
10:40But for me, this is very clear.
10:41So this is exactly what the EU wants us to do, to clear government, to get rid of any corruptions,
10:50to ensure that anti-corruption framework works, and it works.
10:53Last year, it was 737 cases that were opened by Naboo.
10:58It was 125 indictments of prosecution office against more than 200 people.
11:05And there were 93 sentences against 130 persons by high anti-corruption court of Ukraine.
11:13This is about corruption cases that covered more than 20 billion hrivnas of losses to state.
11:20So it means that it works, so that this framework, anti-corruption framework works.
11:24And this framework was completed and start to be fully operational in 2023,
11:30when war already was like on the fullest scale, and it was done by our current parliament.
11:37So that's why I think that the pace of reform in Ukraine is incredible in incredibly difficult circumstances.
11:45And we are doing, we are not looking for any excuses with our partners.
11:50We do our homework with like fullest accuracy possible.
11:55Thank you.
11:55Thank you.
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