Moldova meeting in Brussels: Vasile Tofan states treaty signing expected by end of 2028
Prime Minister Vasile Tofan will lead the Republic of Moldova's delegation on Monday, October 5, at the 10th meeting of the EU– Republic of Moldova Association Council, which will take place in Brussels.
"We want to send the crucial signal that we aim to open all negotiation clusters by the end of the year, advance along this path, and be ready to sign the accession treaty as soon as possible—by the end of 2028," the Head of Government stated at a press conference held on October 1 alongside European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis during his visit to Chișinău.
The Government's goal, Vasile Tofan explained, is to further strengthen the relationship with strategic partners in Europe.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, will chair the meeting, while the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, will represent the European Commission.
According to a statement published on the European Council's website, the meeting will provide an opportunity to exchange views on Moldova's EU accession process, political dialogue, and reforms. In particular, discussions will focus on reforms in justice, freedom, and security; cooperation and alignment on foreign and security policy; and economic and sectoral cooperation, with an emphasis on energy and trade.
"We have a number of major projects underway, and the largest is, indeed, the Growth Plan. I believe it is time for the funds allocated to Moldova to translate into new roads, new hospitals, and modernized infrastructure," the Prime Minister said. He noted that work remains and that the authorities intend to present the latest projects proposed for funding to their European partners.
"We want to update them on our implementation capacity—which we believe has increased following the creation of this centralized agency (Moldova Proiect)—so that our friends in Europe can see that we are listening to their feedback and comments, and that we know what needs to be done to accelerate these crucial projects," said the head of the government.
Valdis Dombrovskis, the Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, noted that the Republic of Moldova is roughly halfway through the implementation period of the Growth Plan but still has about two-thirds of the reforms to complete. Around 40 reforms must be carried out by December, with another 57 planned for 2027. Some of these include significant initiatives regarding the management of state-owned enterprises and the restructuring of public administration.
"So, we are making good progress, but there is still a lot of work to do. Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with the government of the Republic of Moldova to ensure we stay on track with all the reforms," Dombrovskis said.
He said the European Union is evaluating reform progress leading up to June 2026 to disburse the next tranche of support soon, amounting to 157 million euros. To date, approximately 500 million euros in funding has been disbursed under the Growth Plan.
