A memorandum signed in Chisinau: The Republic of Moldova will adopt North Macedonia's experience in European integration process
The Republic of Moldova will adopt the best practices of North Macedonia as it progresses in its European integration journey. In this context, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed today in Chisinau. The two countries will soon develop an action plan that enables their respective teams to share knowledge and experiences, starting in 2025. The Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Cristina Gherasimov, emphasized that Moldova has valuable lessons to learn from North Macedonia, which is at a more advanced stage in its European integration process.
“North Macedonia has the most recent experience from the bilateral screening phase that Moldova just begins to undergo. Our colleagues from North Macedonia can advise us on specific aspects to focus on during discussions with our counterparts in the European Commission. They can also help us develop roadmaps that will serve as benchmarks for the first cluster, given their prior experience,” said Cristina Gherasimov.
North Macedonia has been a candidate country for EU accession since 2005. As of March 2023, there have been 16 meetings of the Stabilization and Association Council between the European Union and North Macedonia, allowing for the accumulation of extensive experience at each stage, which can now be shared with Moldova.
“Through this memorandum, we will provide Moldova with all our expertise regarding European funds, capacity building, and alignment with the acquis communautaire. We do this not only to demonstrate our solidarity but also because we believe these actions promote one of the core values of the European Union: supporting the integration process of a candidate country aligns with the strategic interests of European integration,” said Orhan Murtezani, Minister of European Affairs of North Macedonia.
The Republic of Moldova was granted candidate status for EU accession in June 2022. The official opening of accession negotiations took place in June of this year. Currently, Moldova is undergoing bilateral screening of the second group of chapters—Internal Market. The first negotiation chapters from group 1—Fundamental Values—could potentially be opened in early 2025.
