Ukrainian FM says NATO eases requirements for Ukraine's entry

KIEV, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has eased the requirements for Ukraine's membership in the alliance by canceling a requirement to follow a Membership Action Plan (MAP), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday.

"Following intensive talks, NATO allies have reached consensus on removing MAP from Ukraine's path to membership," Kuleba tweeted.

Kuleba described the decision as "long-awaited," noting that it would shorten Ukraine's path to NATO.

Later in the day, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that negotiations on the final declaration of the NATO summit regarding Ukraine are still underway, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

The next NATO Summit is slated for July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania.