In this May 31, 2021 photo, NATO's Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana deliver a speech during the inauguration of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Center for Resilience, in Bucharest. (DANIEL MIHAILESCU / AFP)
KIEV – NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana called on Ukraine to advance internal reforms needed for joining the alliance, Interfax-Ukraine reported Thursday.
The prospect of Ukraine becoming a NATO member has been "confirmed at the highest political level in the Alliance," Geoana told the news agency during his visit to Kiev.
To get to that point, a combination of factors should be considered, such as the status of reforms in a candidate country and political consensus, Geoana said.
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"There is no automaticity in this matter, but there is always encouragement, and I personally encourage the countries like Ukraine to adhere to the course of reforms, to continue cooperation with NATO on as many fronts as possible," he noted.
NATO membership is one of Ukraine's foreign policy priorities, a goal enshrined in its Constitution in 2019. Ukraine became the alliance's Enhanced Opportunities Partner in June 2020.