Moldova’s Prime Minister, Natalia Gavriliţa, announced, on Tuesday 7 February, her country’s willingness to move closer to the EU. Moldova was granted candidate status for EU membership last June.
“We are committed to the European way”, the Prime Minister stressed at the end of the 7th Association Council between the EU and Moldova, recalling the reforms underway in her country in order to meet the nine conditions set by the Commission for opening its EU accession negotiations.
In the joint statement issued after the meeting, the EU underlines Moldova’s “considerable efforts” on reforms. The Union welcomes in particular the adoption of the comprehensive strategy for the justice sector and the decisive steps taken towards its implementation, the measures taken to combat corruption and Chisinau’s commitment to intensify its de-prioritisation efforts.
Ms Gavriliţa also expressed her country’s determination “to strengthen the economic and political partnership with the EU”, stressing the importance of the Association Agreement.
To further strengthen the partnership, Moldova has joined the EU’s Fiscalis customs and taxation programmes and the EU4Health programme.
Ms Gavriliţa said her country wanted to participate in as many European programmes as possible and to take part in the end of roaming charges and the Single Euro Payments Area.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, also announced that the two sides had agreed to develop a priority action plan for Moldova on trade relations. “This plan will advance key areas of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and accelerate Moldova's access to the EU Single Market “, he explained.
Mr Borrell said that an important part of the discussion was how to deepen cooperation on foreign, security and defence policy. The High Representative and the Prime Minister also discussed the war in Ukraine.
See the joint statement: https://aeur.eu/f/58z (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)