STORY: EU agrees to open accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 14, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 15, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:50
LOCATION: Brussels
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of building of the European Council
2. various of EU leaders
3. SOUNDBITE (English): CHARLES MICHEL, President of the European Council

STORYLINE:

European Union (EU) leaders agreed on Thursday to open EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia.

The EU will also open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached, Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said.

SOUNDBITE (English): CHARLES MICHEL, President of the European Council
"This is a historic moment and shows the credibility of the European Union, the strength of the European Union. The decision is made. We open the decision with Ukraine and with Moldova."

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed his dissent, writing on social media platform X that "Starting accession negotiations with Ukraine is a bad decision. Hungary did not participate in the decision."

Ukraine and Moldova submitted their applications to become member states of the EU in February and March 2022, respectively, and were granted candidate status in June this year.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Brussels.
(XHTV)