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The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU member states (COREPER) has approved the opening of the sixth negotiating cluster in Ukraine's European Union accession talks.
The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka in a post on X.
"Today's decision by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the European Union to approve the opening of Cluster 6, 'External Relations,' is another important step in our EU accession negotiations," Kachka wrote.
Cluster 6 covers external relations, including the EU's common security and defense policy, trade, humanitarian assistance, and development cooperation.
According to Kachka, the formal decision is expected to be adopted on July 14 during the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).
The development follows the EU's opening of the first negotiating cluster, Fundamentals, in Ukraine's accession talks on June 15, marking another milestone in Kyiv's path toward EU membership.
The European Parliament has also reaffirmed its support for Ukraine's EU accession process, while calling attention in a recent resolution to the naming of one of Ukraine's military units after figures associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
