Moldovan president's statements at joint news conference with European Commissioner for Enlargement

Dear Mrs. Commissioner,

Dear Marta,

Welcome in Chisinau on your first official visit to our country,

This visit shows, how many times, that the European Union stands with Moldova. Just as each time, EU is here to support us in difficult situations, to help us build a better future for all Moldovans.

In one month, we will mark 3 years since we submitted the application on accession and meanwhile, we have made big steps on this way. We fulfilled the recommendations by the European Commission and we persuaded all member states that we are ready for starting the negotiations. Last year, we officially started the negotiations on accession through the first intergovernmental conference.

Europa is our way. The Moldovans decided this at the referendum on 20 October. We chose Europe, as it means peace, democracy and safety. In an ever more uncertain world, we want to part of a community of states which share these goals and which support each other.

In the previous years, Moldova has gone through much ordeal. But we have never been alone. When the pandemic put us to test, EU helped us with access to vaccines and support for hospitals. When the war in Ukraine forced thousands of Ukrainians to flee the bombs, EU backed us in our effort to provide them with shelter. When Gazprom attempted to blackmail us with gas, the European Union helped us buy gas from other sources and to protect the citizens from the high prices.

Today, we face new challenges. The Kremlin again uses the energy as a blackmail weapon. On the left bank of Dniester, the people lived in cold and darkness, after Gazprom had unilaterally ruled to cease the delivery of natural gas, thus infringing its own contractual obligations. On the right bank, the energy blackmail led to the increase in the prices for electricity.

But Moldova is not alone in the face of these problems. Presently, the European Union comes up with a new support package, in order to attenuate the impact of this crisis. Through this support, on the right bank, we will partially compensate the increase in tariffs for electric energy for the household consumers and economic agents. On the left bank, the support offer grows beyond the emergency assistance of 10 days, provided that certain conditions are fulfilled.

With EU’s support, we will overcome this crisis as well, but it is even more important that, in the next two years, we will make significant investments in the energy sector, in order to consolidate the security and efficiency of the sector and cut the costs, both for the economy and for the citizens.

Moldova has already made firm steps to become independent from the energy viewpoint. In the last two years, on the right bank, we have no longer been vulnerable to the blackmail with natural gas and after three decades of expectance, the Vulcanesti-Chisinau high-tension power line, which will connect us to the power network of Romania and the European Union, is to be finished this year.  We will construct another two power lines with EU, Balti-Suceava and Straseni-Gutinas, which will allow the delivery of electric energy from diverse sources, at predictable prices.

Another important step is the development of the renewable energy. In late last year, over 16 per cent of the energy consumed in Moldova came already from renewable sources. Last year, the government launched auctions for solar and wind energy projects, which might attract up to 190 million euros in the renewable energy sector.

We also invest in the improvement of the energy efficiency of the public and residential buildings and back private companies to invest in the renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The energy independence is an essential pillar of our national security. With the European Union’s support, Moldova becomes ever more prepared in the face of the external challenges, while we edify a safer future for the citizens.

Our European integration way already brings concrete benefits.

We travel to European without visas, and during travels, we speak by phone at low prices. Over 60 per cent of the products made in Moldova for export reach European markets. With European funds, we build roads, bridges, schools; we endow hospitals, bring aqueducts to villages, plant hectares of trees and renovate community centres. We support entrepreneurs and invest in our future.

We have an ambitious goal – to finish the negotiations on accession in the mandate of the current European Commission.

Mrs. Commissioner Marta Kos, thank you for your commitment for Moldova and we rely on your support. Our future is in the European Union. And we will turn into reality together.