We bring to your attention the key messages of the speakers at the opening of the 1st Accession Exchange Forum.

Alyona Getmanchuk, Director of the New Europe Center:

“Everything should be pretty clear: to secure Ukraine’s survival we need weapons, to secure Ukraine’s development we need membership in the European Union. But before we need to start a real accession process. We don’t ask for special treatment, we are not looking for shortcuts. We just want to have an accession process which is real, which is meaningful and which is merit based”.

Matti Maasikas, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine:

“Ukraine as a European state has been a key patner for EU for years. The relationships that we have are among the most intensive that the EU has with any partner country”.

Oleksandr Sushko, Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation:

“Ukraine is no longer in a position to waste a chance. There is a significant strength in our country. Approaching EU colleagues we should not say ‘take us aboard, we will be a big weight for your train’. Now Ukraine will be one of the locomotives of the European future”.

Video recording of the Forum is available here: 1st day and 2nd day.

The Accession Exchange Forum is organized by the New Europe Center in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the International Renaissance Foundation, the Institute for European Policies and Reforms and the Soros Foundation in Georgia. The Accession Exchange Forum is taking place with EU support, within the EU-funded EU4USociety project implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation.