Sandu aims at Moldova's entry into EU by 2030

CHISINAU. March 17 (Interfax) - Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said that Moldova should become a European Union member before 2030.

"Moldova should become an EU member in 2030. Today we have a real chance to become a full-fledged member of the European family. We enjoy support of EU countries. Moldovans have chosen the European path, but how fast we enter into the EU depends exclusively on us," Sandu said in an address to the parliament on the European integration process on Friday.

Sandu said that all political forces should support Moldova's entry into the EU unconditionally. "What ideology is stopping us from recognizing there is no other way? Where has the search for other paths led us? The CIS, the Customs Union, the Eurasian Economic Union and the option of 'both with these and those' has led us nowhere," she said.

"Together we have earned the respect of free and mighty countries of the world, and rest assured that peace and democracy in our country will be protected. President Klaus Iohannis has firmly said that there is no way Romania denies support to Moldova. We have guaranteed support of Romania, the United States and the EU member countries," she said.

Sandu applied for Moldova's entry into the EU in early March 2022. The Council of the EU approved at a summit in Brussels on June 23, 2022, the candidate status of Ukraine and Moldova. The European Commission gave nine recommendations that need to be met before starting admission talks.

The first meeting of Moldova's European integration commission took place in October to address the need for reforms in various areas. The commission called for the establishment of 35 working groups for harmonizing Moldovan laws with European standards. The Moldovan government set the goal of starting negotiations on accession to the EU by the end of this year.