Moldovan president's speech at EU – Moldova Summit

President Costa, President von der Leyen — thank you.

Thank you for the welcome and for a summit that takes our partnership further.

Our joint declaration states it very clearly: Moldova’s future is in the European Union. And last Monday, in Luxembourg, we opened negotiations on the first cluster of chapters — the one on fundamental values. The rule of law, democratic institutions and fundamental rights are at the heart of the European project.

Let me, therefore, present where Moldova stands today.

In the area of the rule of law, change is real. In five years, we have climbed 25 places in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index and 14 places in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index. Our courts have handed down convictions in major corruption cases.

The evaluation of judges and prosecutors is delivering results — 60 per cent of judges have already been evaluated — and we will complete this process in the near future. In just one year, citizens’ trust in the judiciary has almost doubled. Those who believed they were above the law have learned that the law is the same for everyone.

As for the fundamental rights, we also have results. We rank 31st in the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, the best performance in our region. Last year, Moldova entered the top ten countries on gender equality in the World Economic Forum’s ranking. We are strengthening equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.

For our economy, Europe is already home. The European Union is our largest trading partner. More than half of our trade is with the EU. European investments have increased by almost 30 per cent in four years. The Growth Plan for Moldova is turning into concrete projects. And for this, I thank you.

Today we also welcome three new agreements. Gebauer & Griller and the European Commission are signing a letter of intent for new cooperation that will bind our automotive industry even more closely to the European one. The Commission and the Moldova HiTech Park for advanced technologies are joining forces to build an entrepreneurship and research center in medical technology.

And the Education and Research Ministry is signing a framework agreement with the Commission’s Joint Research Centre, in order to advance together in research and innovation.

In energy, the transformation is most visible. Four years ago, Moldova was entirely dependent on Russia, its only supplier. Today, we are free from this dependence — a step no government has dared to take for three decades. We have connected our electricity grid to Europe. We have increased the share of renewables from 3 pe cent to 25 per cent of domestically generated electricity. We achieved this in the midst of a crisis, with a war at our border. We have turned our greatest vulnerability into a strength. We had the support of our citizens, despite the unprecedented economic hardship caused by rising prices.

In the security field, Moldova is already making a contribution. Our soldiers take part in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lebanon. Our firefighters intervene in Europe when disasters strike.

We share hard‑won experience from the front line of the fight for democracy — in the face of Russian disinformation, cyberattacks and dirty money.

We stand with Ukraine, the resistance of which also protects our peace. While Moldova held the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, we gave an important impetus to the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which will be based in The Hague.

And we are doing more than the European Union requires of us. We have embarked on one of the most difficult reforms so far — that of local public administration — to bring better public services closer to the people.

This is the path that underpins our European choice: we have made commitments and we are honoring them, even under difficult conditions. We are keeping our word while facing a hybrid war: information manipulation, interference in elections, energy blackmail, cyberattacks — all meant to divide us and divert us from our European path.

We have resisted. We have protected the integrity of elections. We have strengthened institutions and have not allowed dirty money to buy power in the state. We have invested in our cyber defense and built tools to counter external manipulation.

We have built this democratic resilience, which is now the foundation of everything we are edifying. And with it, we come to the negotiating table.

Dear Ursula, dear Antonio,

The alignment we have today is rare — a clear mandate from citizens, the pace of reforms at home and recognition in European capitals that enlargement is the best investment in the European Union’s security.

Such windows of opportunity open and close. Ours is open now. So, this is a race against time, which we want to win. We ask for only one thing — a merit‑based process. Moldova is ready to open negotiations on all clusters of chapters and the Commission and the Council confirm that we are ready.

We should not allow this moment to pass. We will keep our word and carry this responsibility forward — for our citizens, who deserve peace, security and prosperity, at home, in the European family.

President Costa, President von der Leyen,

Moldova is doing its part. We count on the support of the 27 member states.

I would now like to address those at home:

Today, in Brussels, Moldova’s partnership with the European Union has become stronger. Last week, we opened negotiations on the first cluster of chapters, the one on fundamental values.

Our work is bearing fruit. Reforms are being recognized and rewarded — with European funds, with investments, with trust. We will keep our word: we will continue to meet the conditions, with full responsibility.

And as we move forward, each step brings concrete results for people — peace, safety and opportunities, at home, in Moldova, in the European family.