Moldovan president in Vilnius says year 2030 realistic target for Moldova to join European Union

The year 2030 is a realistic target for Moldova to join the European Union. We are fully committed to the European path and are showing progress in achieving this goal. President Maia Sandu today made statements to this effect, at a joint press conference with the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, in Vilnius.

President Maia Sandu noted that Moldova’s progress on its way to the EU had also been recognized by the institutions of the European Union.

“The enlargement report from last year showed that our country recorded the greatest progress among the candidate states. We continue to work, because integration into the European Union is very important for Moldova,” Maia Sandu said.

The head of state stressed that a Moldova anchored in the European Union means not only a safer country, but also a stronger eastern flank for Europe.

“Moldova is following Lithuania’s steps towards the EU. You chose freedom in 1990 and joined the EU in 2004, after years of hard work and with the constant support of friends. We are on the same path, but the world around us has changed. Lithuania followed its path in times of peace, on a period when many believed that democracy had definitively triumphed in Europe. We are following ours in the shadow of war, in more dangerous and urgent times. Our citizens know this and are asking us to move quickly. That is why, in three years, we have eliminated our dependence on Russian gas – something that previous governments did not dare to do for three decades. We are reforming the justice system, fighting corruption and aligning ourselves with EU standards in all areas of public life. A Moldova anchored in the European Union does not mean only a safer Moldova. It also means a stronger eastern flank for Europe and a stronger Europe is the best guarantee for Ukraine’s future,” Maia Sandu emphasized.

President Maia Sandu is paying an official visit to Vilnius on March 10-11, at an invitation by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. The visit takes place on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union, proclaimed on March 11, 1990, an act that Moldova was the first country to recognize. On this occasion, the head of state will give a speech in the plenum of the Lithuanian Parliament, during a solemn session.

The visit’s agenda includes meetings with her Lithuanian counterpart, with Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, and Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas. The discussions will focus on the European path of Moldova, strengthening security and resilience in the region, continued support for Ukraine, as well as bilateral cooperation, including investment opportunities for Lithuanian companies from Moldova.