Message of EU's Commissioner for Enlargement to opposition parties: "If we want a prosperous Moldova in EU, everyone's involvement is needed"

Joining the European Union is a national project. It is not the project of a single party or a single person. If we want a prosperous Moldova in the European Union, everyone's involvement is necessary. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos today conveyed a message to this effect in Chisinau. She announced that she had discussed with representatives of the opposition parties in the parliament and urged all political forces to consolidate their efforts, so that the reforms made on the European path benefit all citizens.

The European official made a plea to the parliament and the political class of the Republic of Moldova, urging unity "under the proud flag of Moldova - for the benefit of the citizens."

"I have met with all the opposition parties in the parliament - except one that did not want to meet with me. Because if we want a prosperous Moldova in the European Union, everyone's involvement is needed. Joining the European Union is a national project. It is not the project of a single party or a single person. My call to the parliament and the political class of Moldova is to unite under the proud flag of Moldova - for the benefit of the citizens. Now time is ripe to turn the pages of the past. Let's work together and ensure that Moldova gets the best possible deal for its people in the negotiations. A future on equal terms - in a safe and prosperous European Union," Marta Kos said at the news conference held jointly with Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov.

The European Commissioner stressed that citizens are the ones who decide the direction the country is heading, and this direction was chosen at the latest electoral exercises.

"The leaders of the opposition parties told me they are not pro-Russian and said they will support European reforms. I believe the opposition parties have also understood what these elections actually meant. They meant the will of the people. It is not the politicians who decide that we want to head toward the EU, but the citizens. Now, this is a clear task not only for the government, but for the entire parliament and all political parties," noted the European official.

Marta Kos said that, during her last three visits to Moldova, she had discussed with hundreds of mayors from all political parties, with entrepreneurs, small business owners, farmers and civil society representatives from across the country.

"Every time, I have been able to see that Moldovans have high expectations from the European Union. They want to unite forces, in order to keep communities together and to provide a better future for their peers. The citizens of Moldova have voted 'yes' - five times in the last five years - to the offer that Europe makes to Moldova. The moment is to unite today. To fight corruption, to definitively leave poverty behind and to put oligarchs where they belong: behind bars," said the European Commissioner.

According to her, Moldova has ambitious plans and there is no time to waste, as further actions will need to be implemented in our European journey.

"In the coming years, you will need to align your legislation with European standards. And you will have to implement it. This process will have ups and downs. Please keep your determination. Keep faith in yourselves. Keep moving forward. The path of reforms you are about to embark on will be worth the effort. Other European nations have walked it before you. The effort has borne fruit, improving people's lives. It has brought us into a community based on values and the rule of law, unprecedented in Europe's history," concluded Marta Kos.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos is on a visit to Moldova, shortly after the European Commission adopted the annual enlargement package and announced that Moldova had made significant progress on its European path.

This is the fourth visit to Moldova by the European Commissioner for Enlargement in the last year and the first after the inauguration of the new parliament and government.