European Council welcomes progress of Moldova on path to European integration

The European Council has welcomed the significant progress made by the Republic of Moldova in accession to the European Union and reaffirmed the strong support of the 27 member states for the country's European integration.

In the conclusions adopted Thursday evening in Brussels, European leaders congratulated the authorities in Chisinau for their firm commitment and effective measures taken to protect the integrity of the recent electoral process, despite hybrid activities conducted by the Russian Federation to undermine the country's democratic institutions.


"The European Union will continue to work closely with the Republic of Moldova to enhance the country's resilience and stability and to capitalize on its experience through lessons learned," it states in the official text of the European Council Conclusions.


At the same time, the European Council encouraged the authorities in Chisinau, the Council, and the European Commission to continue their work on the accession process, in line with the merit-based approach. According to the document, the 'Fundamental Values' cluster will be opened first and closed last, while the others - 'Internal Market' and 'External Relations' - will be opened when the conditions are met.

Acting Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov welcomed the conclusions of the meeting in Brussels, emphasizing that they represent an appreciation for the implemented reforms and the joint effort of the authorities and citizens.


"The conclusions of the European Council meeting yesterday in Brussels give us a lot of confidence. It is an appreciation and recognition of the work done by the Government and the entire society for the reforms made and the progress recorded on the path to the EU. We thank the 27 EU state leaders who reaffirmed the EU's strong support for the European course of the Republic of Moldova - a sign that the doors of the European Union are wide open for our country," Gherasimov said.


The European Council autumn meeting addressed, among other things, the process of the EU enlargement and developments in candidate countries, including the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia.