Von der Leyen: Ukraine and Moldova’s EU Accession Is My Second Term Priority

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the integration of Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans into the EU will be a priority of her second term. She said this in the speech to the European Parliament on Thursday, 18 July, eurointegration.com.ua reports. Von der Leyen called inviting countries to the EU ‘a moral, a historical and a political responsibility’ because ‘a larger Union will be a stronger Union’. She pledged to support candidate countries by working on investment and reforms, and integrating them into the EU legal framework where possible. ‘Accession will always be a merit-based process. And we will ensure that all countries are ready, before joining. But completing our Union is also in our core interest. And it will be a core priority for my Commission.’ von der Leyen noted. She added that the future of Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans lies in the EU. ‘The Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have made their free choice. They have chosen freedom over oppression. They have chosen democracy over dependency. And some of them are paying a high price for this choice. So we must make our choice, and show steadfast commitment’, the EC President summarized.