Muresan: We Cannot Treat Moldova as Countries Lagging Behind

We cannot treat the Republic of Moldova the same way we treat countries lagging behind: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. “That is why, as MEP, we call on the European Commission to create a special unit dedicated to the Republic of Moldova in the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations that would reflect the new status that Moldova has as an EU candidate country,” Romanian MEP Siegfried Muresan, co-chairman of the Moldova-EU Parliamentary Association Committee said during a press conference in Brussels, ipn.md reports. “The European Commission has created a special directorate, the Directorate-General for Neighborhood Policy for Ukraine. An equally ambitious separate structure should be created for the Republic of Moldova to reflect its new status as a candidate state and its closer relations with the European Union,” said Siegfried Muresan. The MEP noted that Moldova and the European Union cooperate closer than ever before. Moldova has clearly expressed its interest to join the European Union. Siegfried Muresan said that the Moldova-EU Parliamentary Association Committee will discuss the economy and the financial support for the Republic of Moldova. “As a deputy responsible for macro-financial assistance in the Budgets Committee of the European Parliament, next Tuesday I will propose the Parliament’s legislative position regarding the provision of 145 million euros in macro-financial assistance to Moldova. This was the proposal of the European Commission, but in a few weeks it should be adopted in the European Parliament. We want to adopt it fast by this May, to ensure that this money can reach Moldova over the course of this year, when it’s needed,” the MEP said. The official said that Moldova’s security is very important for the EU. “We follow the situation in Moldova. We are aware of all the progress made by the Moldovan authorities towards European integration. We are also aware of the ongoing attempts at destabilization and provocations in Moldova. The European Parliament is closely watching the developments. We know that security risks for the Republic of Moldova and EU member states are the same. We also know that to live in safety and stability within the borders of the European Union, we need to have stable and safe countries in our immediate vicinity. The security of the Republic of Moldova is a fundamental interest of the European Union. We will work together to strengthen security on the eastern border of the EU, including in Moldova,” said Siegfried Muresan. The Deputy Speaker of Moldova’s Parliament, Mihail Popşoi, co-president of the Moldova-EU Parliamentary Association Committee, highlighted the challenges that Moldova is currently facing, such as post-COVID adaptation, the war in Ukraine, the hybrid war waged by Russia, the destabilization attempts by some fugitive oligarchs who try to evade justice and contribute to Russian attacks on Moldova all at once. The official added that the country’s authorities and state institutions are working hard not only to preserve stability in Moldova, but also to continue the ambitious reform agenda.