Maia Sandu at the World Economic Forum: "The Republic of Moldova's chance to survive as a democracy is only within the EU"
The Republic of Moldova's chance to survive as a democracy is only within the European Union (EU), President Maia Sandu made the statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, during a conference on regional security. The head of state also referred to some vulnerabilities of the Republic of Moldova, such as high prices for energy resources, Russian disinformation and propaganda, and the Transnistrian conflict.
President Maia Sandu reiterated in her speech that Russia blackmailed the Republic of Moldova in the context of the energy crisis, and the European Union managed to find solutions.
"I think that the Republic of Moldova's chance to survive as a democracy is only within the EU and we must be realistic about what will happen in our region in the next 10-15 years. Of course, we all hope for a quick victory of Ukraine and this will happen, but we cannot see Russia becoming a democratic country very soon, which means that the challenges for the region will still be present", Maia Sandu noted.
A possible decision on the accession of the Republic of Moldova to NATO should be based on the popular will, said Maia Sandu, being asked about this perspective.
The head of state also mentioned that the war started by the Russian Federation in Ukraine showed the vulnerability of the defence sector of the Republic of Moldova. Stability in the region depends on the resistance of the Ukrainians. Through the support offered to Ukraine, both the Republic of Moldova and other vulnerable countries in the region are helped, the head of state emphasised.
On the sidelines of the Economic Forum in Davos, which will end tomorrow, January 19, President Maia Sandu had meetings with several European officials, as well as with the administrations of some international financial institutions.
Bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially in the context of the energy crisis, infrastructure investment and support programs for strengthening energy independence, about managing the flow of refugees from Ukraine, were among the main topics of discussion.
