Moldova has a good chance of starting EU accession talks by year-end
Moldova has a good chance of starting EU accession talks by year-end, according to Romanian MEP Dacian Cioloș.
Cioloș, who is a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, made the statement on the radio show "La 360 de grade" on Radio Moldova. He said that the Moldovan authorities are making good progress on the reforms they have promised, and that in some areas they are ahead of Ukraine.
"I have no doubt that the vote will be overwhelmingly in favor of this resolution, which is positive for Moldova," Cioloș said. "The resolution is important from a political point of view because it sends a signal of political support from the European Parliament, which is generally in favor of the EU's enlargement process and, in particular, of the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova."
Cioloș also said that Hungary is likely to oppose the launch of accession talks with Ukraine, which could also affect the resolution for Moldova. He said that other countries could also surprise with their votes.
"We would not want to affect Moldova's interests by setting unrealistic demands for Ukraine," Cioloș said. "Even though the two countries are being treated separately, politically it will be difficult to separate Ukraine from Moldova, even though Moldova is probably more advanced than Ukraine in terms of reforms."
The European Parliament is due to vote on a resolution on the start of EU accession negotiations with Moldova today. Before the vote, MEPs will debate with members of the European Commission and the Council on the latest developments in Moldova, including the implementation of the nine recommendations made in June 2022, when Moldova was granted candidate status.
Several MEPs, including European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, have expressed confidence that Moldova could start accession talks by year-end.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
