President Maia Sandu's message at Moldova – European Union Summit

Dear Mr. President of the European Council, dear Antonio,Dear Mrs. President of the European Commission, dear Ursula,

Welcome to Chisinau, to the first Moldova - European Union summit, an important moment for our relationship.Through this summit, the European Union conveys a clear message: Moldova matters. The support and openness towards us are firmer than ever. For the first time, we are regarded as a natural part of the European family.

The first Moldova - European Union summit shows that our country's accession to the EU is already happening. It's no longer a distant dream or a vague promise. It is a process anchored in reality and built step by step, with the full support of the European Union, of all 27 member states. Because Moldova matters. And because the entire European Union works hand in hand with us for our country to become a full member of this family.

Today, we talked about "how" and "when" we will join. We no longer discuss "if". This was possible not because we were lucky. But due to unprecedented political will in both Chisinau and Brussels, as well as the daily work of hundreds of people.

 

Moldovans have knocked at the EU's doors, and the European Union opened them. We knocked at the doors as is characteristic of us - when we knew we were ready to contribute to a more united and stronger Europe, where Moldova would be sheltered. At the table with the other member states. Protected, respected, listened to.

Our rapprochement with the European Union has already brought us concrete benefits. First of all, Moldova has remained free and peaceful. We felt European solidarity when we needed it the most. We kept our direction and anchored our future in values of peace and well-being. A European future.

This rapprochement also brings real economic results.Today we have access to the largest market in the world: the European Union market. We already export most of our products to this vast, stable market which you can trust. Clear rules, competitive prices, serious partners - all these provide  our producers with the chance to sell more, earn better and create jobs here, at home.

Without access to this market, we would have been poorer, more vulnerable. And probably, more Moldovans would have been forced to go abroad to find a decent living.

Closeness to Europe also means direct investments in Moldova's development. In the next three years, the European Union will invest 1.9 billion euros in our country - from north to south, in cities and villages.

We will repair approximately 200 kilometers of regional and local roads from the first tranche of European funds. Works will start in several locations including: the Maximovca and Mereni road; Corjeuți–Caracușenii Vechi; Hârbovăț–Onișcani; Chioselia–Țărăncuța; Cărpineni; Ulmu; Vadul Rașcov–Șestaci; Borceag–Chioselia Rusă; Coșeni–Teșcureni and many others.

In over 100 locations, local roads that have been awaiting repair for decades will be paved. Corjeuți, Văleni, Rîșcova, Feștelița, Cişmichioi, Albota de Jos.

Schools across the country will receive support to renovate their canteens, so that as of September 1, 2025, pupils from grades 5 to 9 benefit from free meals. We will support entrepreneurs with grants and financing programmes that help them invest, develop their businesses and create jobs.

For young people who choose to stay and work at home, we will provide a supplement of 3,000 lei to the salary, for 12 months, in the first year of employment, in such strategic areas as: electronics industry, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, machinery and automotive components, textiles and clothing, construction materials, food industry and creative industries.

As many as 130 settlements will receive equipment for waste collection, so that our villages are cleaner and better cared for. With European support, we are also investing in energy security. This year, we will complete the Vulcanesti–Chișinău power line, and in the coming years, we will build the Straseni–Gutinas and Balti–Suceava lines.

At the same time, we are investing in renewable sources - solar, wind, biogas - to have secure energy produced at home at a fair price. We help people reduce their bills with energy efficiency projects dedicated to housing, social institutions - such as schools and hospitals - as well as enterprises in the agri-food sector.

Investments in strategic infrastructure don’t stop here. Just yesterday, the European Union selected a new major infrastructure project for financing - the modernization of the railway line between Iasi and Ungheni. This project will reduce train travel time and increase rail transport capacity between Moldova and Romania, thus strengthening our ties to the entire European Union.

Meanwhile, we travel more, without visas, we enjoy direct flights to more and more European cities, and when we travel, we talk by phone cheaper. Starting from next October, we will pay less for banking transactions with Europe and by the end of the year, we will completely remove roaming charges.

All these efforts have a clear goal: to bring the standard of living in Moldova to European standards - in each locality, for every citizen. If Poland, Lithuania and Romania succeeded, we will succeed as well. We want a European Moldova, and we will build it. If we stay united and do not turn back, we will succeed.

Unfortunately, not everyone wants these natural things for Moldova. The Kremlin and its strategically spread voices, including in Chisinau, try to convince us that Moldova should not be helped.

They do not respect our people's choice; they do not see us as equals. They do not know what help and solidarity mean - they only know blackmail and control.

While Europe provides us with the largest development support in our history, these voices want to cut our access to funds, partnerships and hope.But Europe has proven that unity and mutual help can bring peace, prosperity and progress - regardless of language, geography or historical past.

All EU states are more prosperous because they support each other. And Moldova will develop with the help of its friends, contributing, for its part, as is natural - to a Union of free and prosperous states.

 

Today we also discussed the neighboring country, Ukraine. We must be united in supporting Ukraine.

Not just because it is natural to help a suffering neighbor, but also because Ukraine stands up to an empire of aggression that threatens the entire region. We have peace in Moldova because our Ukrainian neighbors defend it. This must be understood and appreciated.

We support a lasting peace in Ukraine - true peace, with clear guarantees that the war will not restart. We will continue to be a reliable security partner - for Ukraine and for the European Union.

Moldova and Ukraine are on the same path to the European Union, and the integration of both countries will strengthen European security.

 

This summit takes place in a difficult historical moment.A continent shaken by war.A world with more conflicts, crises, manipulation.

Global trade becomes more unpredictable, with rules changing on the fly, and risks multiplying.Fear. Uncertainty. Division.

But Moldova makes a clear choice:We choose peace.We choose to be on the side of good.

We have a rare chance: to become part of the European Union. To be a self-sustaining state, with strong institutions, solid partnerships and a real contribution to a peaceful and prosperous continent. But this chance comes with responsibility.

"God gives, but doesn't put it in your bag" - says a Moldovan proverb. Prosperity and peace don’t come as a gift; they are built. Through work. Through collective effort. Through unity. When citizens, united, choose the right direction and resolutely follow this path.

The European Union is already happening to us. And the only risk is for us to stop. If this autumn we decide that no one can stop us, then everything becomes possible. Moldova has everything to succeed. And it will succeed. Because Moldovans are, in mind and in heart, already European citizens.

Dear friends, dear Ursula, dear Antonio,Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your presence here, for your constant support and for your sincere friendship.Your presence in Chisinau says without words that Moldova is at home in Europe.

We hope that this summit becomes a tradition - and each edition brings us closer to our common goal: a Moldova that is a member of the European Union.

On behalf of all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, thank you for being with us.

We move forward together - with dignity, courage and hope. Moldova is ready to contribute, with all its heart and with all its skill, to this great European construction of peace, well-being and solidarity.