Baltic States' support for European integration of Moldova at opening of spring parliamentary session

The parliament of Moldova has inaugurated the spring session with a solemn meeting attended by President of the Riigikogu of Estonia Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia Daiga Mieriņa and Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Juozas Olekas.

Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu welcomed the presence of the Baltic dignitaries in Moldova, who are on an official visit on February 2-4, and highlighted the profound transformations undergone by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania after joining the European Union in 2004: their economies have grown significantly, their gross domestic product has tripled, the standard of living has improved and state institutions have become stronger and more efficient.

“The Baltic States represent a clear example that accession to the European Union brings tangible results for citizens. For our part, we have a clear and strong mandate on behalf of the citizens to lead Moldova into the European Union. The parliament, the deputies of this supreme body, have an essential role in this process: to adopt the necessary reforms, to strengthen democracy and to prepare the country for accession,” the parliament speaker emphasized.

In their speeches from the main rostrum, the presidents of the Baltic parliaments reiterated their unwavering support for the European path of Moldova.

President of the Riigikogu of Estonia Lauri Hussar said that Moldova had proved remarkable resilience and determination in advancing democratic reforms and its European course, and that Estonia firmly supports this effort. “We believe that Moldova’s future lies within the European family. Estonia understands the challenges related to reforming institutions, strengthening governance and building public trust. We are ready to share our experience as a partner willing to support, listen and cooperate,” the Estonian official said.

For her part, Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia Daiga Mieriņa stressed that Moldova was an example for other candidate countries for accession to the European Union. “In our opinion the first cluster of negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine should be opened immediately, in order to bring your country closer to its stated goal of completing accession negotiations by 2028. At the same time, we can also draw inspiration from your experience. This year, Latvia will hold parliamentary elections and we will certainly take into account Moldova’s experience in preventing disinformation and attempts at external interference in elections,” Daiga Mieriņa said.

Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Juozas Olekas underlined that the determination and consistency of Moldova on the path of European integration strengthened political will in European capitals for the enlargement of the European Union. “The continuous progress in reforms is a convincing argument in favor of increasing EU’s financial support for Moldova, including for economic transformation and reintegration efforts,” the official said.

In accordance with the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the spring session begins in February and cannot extend beyond the end of July.