EU should start Moldova accession talks now, Romanian FM says
Supporting Moldova's European path is Romania's top priority, said Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt.
According to her, the country has a strong, pro-European government and a population that believes in Europe.
The official from Bucharest noted that Moscow was trying to blackmail Moldova, including by cutting off energy supplies, but that "Romania provided 90% of the electricity needs for a longer period of time last winter."
“At Romania's initiative, the EU has set up a partnership mission there to provide support in combating hybrid threats. In addition, a support platform, involving Germany, Romania and France, provides direct assistance and coordinates financial support for that country,” continued Luminița Odobescu.
Regarding Moldova's accession to the European Union, the government in Chișinău is implementing important reforms despite the existing difficulties, according to the head of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.
“Obtaining the status of candidate country to the EU last year was an important step forward. But this is not enough. The EU should start accession talks now. We need a strategic and visionary approach for this state, for the region,” the minister also stressed.
Recently, the Speaker of the Parliament in Chișinău, Igor Grosu, said that Moldova has all the chances to achieve a positive result and to open accession talks with the European Union by the end of this year.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
