EaP COUNTRIES NOT READY TO BECOME EU MEMBERS YET - EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER

Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn met with journalists from Eastern Partnership countries in Brussels on Thursday.

"Out of Eastern Partnership countries, only Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova currently clearly express their aspiration to European integration. However, it is wrong time now to speculate on these countries' membership in the EU. If you say "We will become EU members right away" - this is unreal. But people want to hear that this will happen in three years. In this case, the Government gets under pressure, while we do not want that a successfully-working government to face pressure", Hahn. He reminded that Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine already benefit of free-trade regime with EU countries and get advantages from the EU-Moldova Association Agreement functioning.

"Thus, today it is about the focus on homework, the implementation of Association agreements. This is a process which will allow countries to approach the EU. Talking about next steps now would mean speculating", Hahn said.