Moldova maintains EU accession timeline

The Republic of Moldova’s objective remains unchanged – to conclude EU accession negotiations by 2028 and to be fully prepared for accession by 2030, in order to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Republic of Moldova within the European Union. The European future of the Republic of Moldova is no longer defined only by what we aim to achieve, but also by the contribution we are already bringing to the European project. We will continue to move forward with determination, responsibility, and confidence. The statements were made today in Brussels by Acting Prime Minister Eugeniu Osmochescu, at the end of the intergovernmental conference that marked the opening of negotiations on Cluster 6 External Relations.

The acting prime minister stressed that the opening of the second negotiation cluster, just one month after the launch of negotiations on the first cluster Fundamentals marks another important step in our country’s process of accession to the European Union. The official thanked the European partners and all EU member states for today’s decision and “for the continued confidence they have in the European future of the Republic of Moldova”.


“Just one month after the opening of official negotiations for Cluster 1, namely Fundamentals, today’s Intergovernmental Conference confirmed that the accession process of the Republic of Moldova continues to advance on the basis of merit, sustained reforms, and mutual trust, and that each group of chapters we open brings us closer to our objective of joining the European Union, fully prepared to assume the rights and responsibilities that EU membership entails,” said Eugeniu Osmochescu.


According to the official, the opening of Cluster 6 reflects the choice of a firm, sovereign, and irreversible policy made by the Republic of Moldova and its citizens. At the same time, the official added, the decision “marks an important stage in our transformation from a country that aligns its external actions with those of the European Union into a future member state prepared to continue contributing actively in this area”.

Eugeniu Osmochescu emphasized that the group of chapters opened today demonstrates that “the European integration of the Republic of Moldova represents a strategic gain for Europe as well.” The acting prime minister added that by strengthening cooperation in the fields of foreign policy, security, and defense, the Republic of Moldova is becoming “an active contributor to the European Union’s external action, strengthening both its own resilience and the security of the entire region.”


“For many years we have been saying that European integration is the strongest guarantee for peace, security, and stability. Today we are demonstrating something equally important: that the Republic of Moldova is preparing to assume its share of responsibility for Europe’s security. By strengthening cooperation in foreign policy, security, and defense, we are becoming an active contributor to the European Union’s external action, reinforcing both our own resilience and the security of our entire region,” Osmochescu specified.


The acting prime minister said that, in recent years, the Republic of Moldova has significantly deepened its cooperation with the European Union through their security and defense partnership.


“We have steadily increased our level of alignment with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, strengthened the implementation of sanctions, as well as the prevention of their circumvention. We have reinforced our resilience to hybrid threats, manipulation, and external informational interference, and we have continued the modernization of our defense capabilities with the support of the European Peace Facility,” the official underlined.


He specified that “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe’s security architecture, and the Republic of Moldova has directly felt these consequences, hosting the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita in Europe, as well as facing repeated hybrid attacks, attempts to undermine our democratic institutions, violations of our airspace, and energy blackmail.”

In this context, “the experience gained by the Republic of Moldova in countering these challenges has become an asset for our own security, as well as for the security of the whole of Europe,” Osmochescu argued.


“We are ready to share this experience and to continue contributing to strengthening collective resilience against hybrid threats and foreign interference. The Republic of Moldova has also demonstrated that it is ready to contribute to strengthening the rules-based international order. During the period in which we held the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, we helped achieve a historic milestone – the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. We continue to strengthen regional cooperation with our neighbors and partners and to actively support stability and security throughout the region,” the official said.


The acting prime minister further noted that today’s decision adopted in Brussels also has major economic importance.


“The European Union is already the Republic of Moldova’s main trading partner and has for many years been the destination for more than two-thirds of our exports. By joining the European Union’s common commercial policy, Moldovan businesses will become part of the largest network of trade agreements, which will create new opportunities for investment, exports, and sustainable economic growth,” he said.


At the same time, according to the official, the intergovernmental conference held today in Brussels “also recognizes the tremendous work carried out by the institutions of the Republic of Moldova in the context of the technical negotiations.”


“After presenting our negotiating position, we continued to strengthen the legislative and institutional framework. We have made significant progress in meeting the closing benchmarks for both chapters in this cluster. This also demonstrates how the Republic of Moldova is approaching the entire accession process. We are preparing in advance, we are implementing reforms consistently, and we are maintaining the pace. Our objective remains unchanged – to conclude accession negotiations by 2028 and to be fully prepared for accession by 2030, in order to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Republic of Moldova within the European Union. The European future of the Republic of Moldova is no longer defined solely by what we aim to achieve, but also by the contribution we are already bringing to the European project. We will continue to move forward with determination, responsibility, and confidence,” Osmochescu concluded.


Today, the Republic of Moldova marked another step forward in advancing the process of European integration by officially opening negotiations for Cluster 6 “External Relations”, within the framework of the third Intergovernmental Conference between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, held this evening in Brussels.

 
Cluster 6 External Relations is part of the structure of the European Union accession negotiations and consists of two negotiating chapters – Chapter 30, concerning the European Union’s external trade policy, and Chapter 31, which covers foreign, security, and defence policy.


The Republic of Moldova opened its first EU accession negotiation cluster – Cluster 1 “Fundamentals” – on 15 June 2026, during the second EU–Republic of Moldova Intergovernmental Conference, held in Luxembourg.