Moldovan President tells Austrian newspaper Die Presse Die Presse that it is not only about political choice, but also about guarantees of democracy and security.
“We want to be part of the family. It is important for us to get this “certificate”. Already now about one million Moldovans are EU citizens. About one million out of a population of 2.5 million, thanks to Romanian citizenship. That is, almost half of our citizens already have EU citizenship. Now it is up to the state to obtain this status. It is about security. It is about democracy,” Sandu said.
The head of state noted that the EU integration is important not only for Moldova itself, but also for the whole Union. If such countries are not accepted, they may end up in the “gray zone”.
“We do not want Russia to use Moldova against the free world, against the EU, as it is happening today with Belarus. Therefore, when we talk about EU integration, it is not only about Moldova’s security, but also about the security of the European Union itself, because if countries like Moldova are not helped to become part of the EU, they can be used by Russia against the whole continent,” the Moldovan president said.
In these circumstances, Chisinau is accelerating its preparations to join the EU by 2030. According to Sandu, the country has already made significant progress and expects to fulfill the necessary conditions in the coming years.
Speaking about the future of the EU, the head of state advocated faster decision-making mechanisms and strengthening the Union’s role as a global player – both in economy and security:
“In this new world, where everything is changing very quickly, the EU must have the ability to make decisions quickly. The decision-making process must be efficient so that the Union can act quickly, because the situation is extremely volatile – what you read in the morning can completely change by the evening.”
Reminder, the interview for Die Presse was timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Sunday edition of the newspaper. Maia Sandu gave it during a short stopover on her way from Lithuania, where she made an official visit on March 10-11.
