Maia Sandu: Maintaining peace Is Moldova’s top priority
The Republic of Moldova aims to fully join the European Union by 2030, with European integration being seen as a "survival strategy for democracy" in light of threats from Russia, according to President Maia Sandu. The president stated that the authorities in Chisinau are continuing with reforms without waiting for all official decisions from European institutions.
Moldova’s path to EU accession: A commitment by president Maia Sandu
“I am very determined and confident that Moldova will become part of the EU. Our commitment to the citizens of Moldova is that our country will be ready by 2030. We believe and hope that the EU institutions and member states will support our agenda,” said Maia Sandu in an interview with Deutsche Welle and RFI in Strasbourg.
When asked about the possibility of a two-stage accession or a partial membership status before full accession, Maia Sandu indicated that the government is currently focused solely on full integration into the European Union. “We are now working toward full accession, and this is a merit-based process. We are implementing the necessary reforms for full membership,” the president stated.
Regarding the Transnistrian conflict, Sandu remarked that the region on the left bank of the Nistru remains a security challenge due to the illegal presence of Russian troops. However, the authorities are attempting to enhance economic and social ties between the two banks of the Nistru.
“We have taken measures in the economic and financial sectors, and we are seeing more people coming to work on the right bank of the Nistru. The residents of the Transnistrian region have realized that they cannot rely on Russia, especially after experiencing an energy crisis last winter when Russia halted gas supplies. Despite the ongoing security issues due to Russia's troop presence on our territory, we hope to find a peaceful geopolitical solution to this problem. Our commitment is to resolve the conflict amicably while continuing with necessary reforms that will facilitate our EU integration,” she explained.
The government's current objective is to secure Moldova's accession to the European Union as an independent state. However, Maia Sandu does not dismiss the possibility of exploring other options, including discussions on unification with Romania, should European integration prove unfeasible.
“We are working hard for Moldova to become part of the EU, and we hope this scenario will succeed. If for any reason it does not, we will consider other options. The main goal is to maintain peace in Moldova and to ensure that Moldova remains part of the free world,” Maia Sandu declared.
We remind you that Maia Sandu is visiting the European Parliament, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic this week. This visit is part of her ongoing series of bilateral meetings with EU member states to advance Moldova's accession process to the European Union.
