Maia Sandu
According to the head of state, the Republic of Moldova hopes that, by the end of 2026, the EU will take a positive decision on opening the last two clusters required for the accession negotiations to move forward.
Sandu noted that, according to the European Commission’s assessment, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are technically ready for this stage, but the decision depends on the agreement of all EU Member States.
“We would like to see the last two negotiation chapters opened, for which, according to the European Commission’s assessment, both countries are technically ready. I understand that Hungary is resolving bilateral issues with the Ukrainian government. We hope that, over the next few months, all Member States will take a positive decision regarding both countries. We support a process based on merit and are not asking for any concessions,” the President told Válasz Online.
According to the head of state, the subject was discussed during her visit to Budapest and her meetings with Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar. However, Sandu did not receive any concrete promises regarding the timetable for opening the clusters. She expressed her hope that a positive decision would be taken at the last European Council meeting of this year.
The President emphasised that the Republic of Moldova cannot influence developments in Ukraine and must take individual responsibility for its own progress towards EU accession.
“I truly hope that all candidate countries will make faster progress, whilst respecting the established rules. But, at the same time, I believe that by holding Moldova back, you are not helping Ukraine. We are trying to keep Moldova a democratic country, and that is precisely why European integration is so important to us,” said Maia Sandu.
The head of state warned that the window of opportunity for European Union enlargement could close due to political changes in member states. For this reason, the Republic of Moldova intends to continue its efforts to meet the requirements for all negotiation clusters.
According to the President, the official opening of negotiations is necessary to make progress in the accession process.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
Follow our updates
Have information for the newsroom? Share it with Logos-Press
Comments
0No comments yet. You can start the conversation.
Comments are open to readers with a Logos Press account.
Sign in to comment