Charles Michel has assured Moldova that it has the European Union’s full support on its road to membership of the bloc in what he described as “these difficult times”.The European Council President made the pledge in the course of his official visit to the country. He also noted that Moldova had become a target for Russia.
Russia and its proxies had increasingly tried to destabilise Moldova “using energy, cyber-attacks, staging protests,and other disruptive activities”, Michel declared as he praised the courage and resolve with which Moldova has responded. Over the past year, the EU has mobilised more than one billion euros in support of Moldova’s efforts and is ready to do more, he added, citing the request that the European Commission put together a support package before summer. He went on to acknowledge Moldova’s support for the EU Solidarity Lanes he described as those “essential corridors for keeping Ukraine linked to the rest of Europe and to the rest of the world.”
“Russia continues to attack the free people of Ukraine, and here in Moldova, you are heavily impacted by Russia’s war against Ukraine. You have increasingly become a target of Russia’s military intelligence.”
In recent weeks, several pro-Russian protests in Moldova have called for the ouster of President Maia Sandu‘s pro-European administration. The Moldovan government accuses Russia of trying to destabilize the country.
After meeting with Michel, Sandu stressed how they had discussed Moldova’s EU accession progress “and our shared commitment to making the European Political Community summit in Moldova an important step towards a more connected, stable and prosperous Europe.”
On the issue of reforms, Michel said he and President Sandu had paid particular attention to the comprehensive reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, and the de-politicisation of state institutions.
