EU boosts Moldova ties, accelerates accession bid
The European Parliament will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Moldova's Parliament to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions.
Additionally, the European Parliament will open an antenna office in Chișinău in September, announced its Vice-President, Nicolae Ștefănuță, in Chișinău on Thursday, June 26.
"We'll sign a Memorandum of Understanding that covers all kinds of joint activities. This essentially means strengthening this institution – the people's institution. We'll also have an antenna office in Chișinău. Right now, we're recruiting staff. We're just a few days away from naming someone, but we already have a person in mind who will represent the European Parliament daily here in Chișinău. This is an important step, a sign that the European Union and the European Parliament are truly interested in what's happening here," Ștefănuță said at a press conference held at Moldova's Parliament.
The MEP noted that, with the first Moldova-EU summit scheduled for July 4, the European Parliament had voted on a resolution regarding Moldova's European path at its last plenary session in Strasbourg.
"The European Parliament's message is clear. We want the negotiation chapters opened as soon as possible. We have an opportunity window that neither we nor you should miss, and it's valid within this five-year mandate. If we want Moldova to accede in the next five years, by 2030, we must move in tandem. I wholeheartedly wish that Moldova's European journey continues, especially as a result of the autumn elections," the European official added.
Nicolae Ștefănuță stressed that the European Parliament will take steps to protect Moldovan citizens from disinformation, especially with this autumn's parliamentary elections approaching. The focus will be on preventing foreign interference and ensuring the integrity of the vote.
"I know there are challenges: disinformation, hybrid attacks, and TikTok is being bombarded with fake news. So, it's crucial to help Moldova ensure people aren't misinformed. The TikTok phenomenon is highly important. Upon my return to Brussels, I'll discuss this with representatives of these companies, which are under our oversight, to ensure a level playing field for political competitors," Ștefănuță explained.
The Vice-President of the European Parliament added that a country's economic growth begins during the pre-accession period, referring to the €1.9 billion support package offered to Moldova. He stated that the financial support will increase as new negotiation chapters are opened, which will attract investors to the country and guarantee its EU accession.
"This signals that Europe will be here; the European Union will be here. The European Union stands with you. And European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with Roberta Metsola, are all deeply committed and take seriously the work this Government and Moldova, in general, are doing for EU accession," the official stated.
Referring to Moldova's and Ukraine's EU accession process, the EP Vice-President suggested the two states could continue this path separately.
"It's good to be together, but you can't make it conditional... it's unfair to keep them umbilically linked. You can't always keep them coupled, because Ukraine has its own challenges, and Moldova is different. It wouldn't be fair to either. The European Parliament is pressuring Hungary to abandon this dangerous, irresponsible geopolitical blockade, in my opinion. While I understand why they should start together, I don't think it's okay for the two countries to always be seen as a tandem. We need to see their actual progress," the MEP emphasized.
It's worth noting that the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Nicolae Ștefănuță, is on an official visit to Chișinău as the lead representative for supporting democracy in Moldova.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
