European Commission lauds Moldova's preparations for entering into EU

BRUSSELS. Nov 5 (Interfax) - Moldova has made much progress in preparations to enter into the EU and may start accession talks, the European Commission said in the annual enlargement package assessing progress of candidate states.

"Moldova's elections in October showed a clear 'yes' to a European future and the country has continued to implement key reforms," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday.

The European Commission statement on the annual enlargement package said that Moldova had adopted roadmaps on the supremacy of law, public administration and functioning of democratic institutions and assessed them positively.

The European Commission believes that Moldova has met the conditions of cluster talks on the main principles, external relations and the domestic market.

"The government of Moldova has signaled its objective to provisionally close accession negotiations by early 2028. The [European] Commission is committed to supporting this objective, which is ambitious but achievable, provided Moldova accelerates the current pace of reforms. Sustaining reform momentum is crucial, reinforced by strong parliamentary support for the country's European path following elections in September," the statement said.

The EU summit decided in June 2022 to grant the EU candidate status to Moldova.