Berlin, June 13 (QNA) - The European Union will begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on Monday, following an agreement among member states on a common position regarding the first negotiating cluster in the accession process.

European sources indicated that member states have completed the necessary preparations for the start of talks, and that the new Hungarian government has halted the measures taken by the previous government to obstruct progress in the two countries' EU accession negotiations.

The Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union announced in an official statement that the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the European Union, following a unanimous decision by all member states, has initiated the first procedural steps to open the first negotiating group, known as the "Fundamentals" cluster, in the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

The Cypriot Presidency stated that enlargement remains one of the EU's most transformative policies and represents a strategic political commitment and a geopolitical necessity, emphasizing that the future of Ukraine and Moldova lies within the European Union.

It added that Ukraine and Moldova, under the exceptional circumstances resulting from the war in Ukraine, have demonstrated remarkable resilience and unwavering commitment to their European path. (QNA)