EU's von der Leyen calls for closer cooperation with candidate states

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for closer future cooperation between the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe and countries hoping to join the EU bloc.
This past year, marked by Russia's bloody invasion of Ukraine, marked a turning point for many of the countries seeking to join the EU, including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and the countries of the Western Balkans, von der Leyen said at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik on Wednesday.
"I see room for an even closer cooperation and partnership between the European Union, the Council of Europe and each candidate country, so that the story of European democracy will continue to be written, in Ukraine and elsewhere on our continent," von der Leyen said.
Ukraine has officially been a candidate for EU membership since last summer.