Moldova, strongly supported by the EU in its European path. Mihai Popșoi: "We were congratulated in Luxembourg for our resilience and determination"
The Republic of Moldova received a clear reconfirmation of the European Union's full support for the accession process, during the meeting of Foreign Ministers held on Monday, September 20, in Luxembourg. The statement was made by the acting Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, who represented Chișinău at the event.
“The main result of this visit is the reconfirmation of the full support of our partners in the European Union and the member states for our agenda of accession to the European Union,” Mihai Popșoi told Moldova 1 TV.
Among other foreign policy topics, the European ministers also discussed, in Luxembourg, the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova.
Drawing on the lessons learned from the last elections in our country, the Council of Ministers decided to launch an initiative to modernize election observation methods, “taking into account the fact that people are increasingly living their lives online,” said the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, at the press conference held after the meeting of foreign affairs ministers.
“Content on social networks must be included in the assessment of the transparent and inclusive nature of the elections,” Kaja Kallas pointed out.
The ball is in the European Union's court
Mihai Popșoi stressed that the constant support provided by the European Union has contributed significantly to the consolidation of the institutions of the Republic of Moldova, especially in the face of attempts at destabilization coming from outside.
“We were congratulated for the success of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in remaining steadfast on the path of European integration, despite all the Kremlin's attempts to sabotage the Republic of Moldova on its European path, the official added.
The acting Deputy Prime Minister from Chișinău also said that there is a real openness on the part of the member states to open accession negotiations: “All my counterparts say in one voice: the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have delivered, have demonstrated resilience, capacity and determination to see the future of their children in the great European family. Now, the ball is in the European Union's court to advance to the next stage”.
"Citizens of the Republic of Moldova, an example for the entire region"
At the same time, Minister Popșoi stated that the experience of the Republic of Moldova in combating disinformation and hybrid threats is considered valuable at the European level and has inspired new initiatives regarding the protection of the online space in the electoral context.
"The Republic of Moldova is an inspiration, and our citizens, through the resilience they have shown, are an example for the entire region. We are ready to share the lessons learned with our friends, so that they suffer less than we did", emphasized Mihai Popșoi for Moldova 1 TV.
The acting minister also mentioned the EU support through programs such as the Partnership Mission and the Peace Facility, reiterating Chisinau's gratitude for this commitment.
During the discussions, European officials were particularly interested in how the Moldovan authorities managed to manage hybrid attacks.
“The most frequently heard question was: ‘How did you manage?’ Given the avalanche of disinformation, cyberattacks, millions of euros poured into our political system to corrupt voters – and they didn’t succeed,” said Mihai Popșoi.
He noted that the success was possible thanks to the efficient reaction of state institutions, the judiciary, civil society, as well as journalists, who “mobilized in an exemplary way.”
“It was an effort of the entire society and this is the lesson learned,” concluded the head of diplomacy from Chișinău.
