Moldova advances decisively in EU accession process; Cypriot official says stronger Moldova means stronger Europe

Moldova is making decisive progress in the European Union enlargement process. Cyprus’s Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna today made statements to this effect at a news conference in Brussels dedicated to the launch of technical negotiations for the last three clusters of the country’s EU accession process. The official emphasized that the European Union would continue to support Moldova politically, financially and technically, but recalled that accession stay a merit-based process, dependent on continuous reform efforts.

“In the accession process, Moldova has proved resilience and maturity. The European Union will continue to support Moldova politically, financially and technically throughout the entire EU accession process. At the same time, accession remains a process based on merit and on constant reform efforts. We encourage Moldova to maintain these efforts to consolidate reforms. The enlargement of the European Union represents a collective investment in peace, stability and prosperity. A stronger Moldova means a stronger Europe and today we can confidently say that Moldova is advancing decisively in the enlargement process,” said Marilena Raouna.

The official added that the Cypriot Presidency would continue to work closely with EU member states, the European Commission and the Moldovan authorities, in order to ensure continuity of progress in a structured way and with a long-term vision.

“The future of Moldova lies in the European Union. The road ahead requires perseverance, unity and sustained reforms, but the direction is clear. We are very satisfied with the results achieved and we look forward to the next stages of the accession process,” Marilena Raouna underlined.

The final stage of technical negotiations between Moldova and the European Union, concerning the last three clusters of the EU acquis, was launched in Brussels today, marking full coverage of all six clusters and the 33 topic-related chapters of European legislation.

Cyprus holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union as of 1 January till 30 June 2026, for the second time in its history as an EU member (the first was in 2012). In this capacity, Cyprus coordinates the work of the Council, facilitates negotiations between member states and promotes the legislative and political priorities of the European Union. The Presidency includes organizing Council meetings, ensuring legislative continuity and supporting enlargement and reform processes in candidate states, including Moldova.