
EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi handed over to Georgia and Moldova the so-called "questionnaires" official documents, through which the European Union appreciates the willingness of countries to join the Union, an essential step towards starting a long membership process.
"The document is the first step on the road to the European Union. We're ready to progress very quickly. So, the sooner you complete it, the sooner we will be able to present an opinion to the European Council," Varhelyi said, addressing Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu and Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili in Luxembourg.
Moldova and Georgia applied for membership in the bloc after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine also applied for EU membership due to the Russian invasion. As part of a gesture of solidarity, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen personally handed over a questionnaire to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during her visit to Kiev on 8 April.
The document serves as the basis for EU accession talks. The questionnaire in question, as requested by the European Council, aims to help the Commission build its opinion on the application of countries for UNION membership.