He added that Ukraine’s contribution, once it becomes an EU member state, will be very positive in several areas, including natural resources, energy, agriculture, and new technologies and defence.

Previously, former Central Bank President and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi introduced a report concerning the future competitiveness of the EU, according to Ukrinform.

The report, among others, emphasised the urgency of unprecedented investment to address the declining productivity of the European Union and weak economic growth relative to the US and China.

Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that her country could offer substantial added value to the European Union economy while helping to tackle the critical challenges mentioned in the report.

Costa: We Will Work to Open at Least 2 Clusters of Accession Negotiations in 2025

On December 1, the European Council President, Antonio Costa, together with the High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, and the new Commissioner in charge of enlargement, Marta Kos, visited Kyiv.

At a joint press conference with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Ukraine’s capital, Costa said that Ukraine is part of the European family, stressing that the bloc is looking forward to welcoming Ukraine as a member of the EU.

He said that the European Union and Ukraine will work together to open at least two clusters of Ukraine’s accession negotiations in the first semester of the next year.

The European Council President said that the EU will do its utmost to see Ukraine in the European Union as soon as possible.

On February 28, 2022, Ukraine filed its application for membership in the EU following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The European Union ministers agreed to launch accession talks with Ukraine on June 25, 2024.