PHOTO // Deputy Prime Minister at Delphi Economic Forum: Moldova wants to become full-fledged EU member state

The Republic of Moldova wants to become a full-fledged EU member state, to go through all the stages of the accession process and to meet the same criteria applied to all candidate states. Along this path, we are making efforts to implement reforms that improve people’s lives and contribute to strengthening more efficient institutions. This message was conveyed today by Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi at the Delphi Economic Forum, held in Greece.

The event was attended by: European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania Ferit Hoxha, former President of the European Council Charles Michel, as well as former European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni.

Popșoi took part in the discussion panel “From Soft Power to Hard Reality: The Great European Rebalancing.” In his remarks, the official spoke about the importance of the European Union’s enlargement for the candidate countries, as well as for the EU itself, as a tool for strengthening stability and security in the context of regional challenges.

The official highlighted the measures taken by the authorities in Chișinău to strengthen state institutions and emphasized the need for sustainable mechanisms to ensure their efficient functioning even after obtaining EU member state status.

“The accession process is complex and lengthy. We are strengthening the capacities of national institutions not for the European Union, but because these are the expectations of Moldovan citizens. We are making efforts to ensure that we deliver results in the reform process and that our institutions are solid and democratic so that we can be truly competitive, not only within the single market,” said Popșoi.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the Republic of Moldova wants to become a member state of the European Union by going through all stages of the accession process, on the basis of merit and under the same conditions.

“We want to be full-fledged members of the European Union and we are working just like the other candidate states to ensure that the destination is the same,” Popșoi underlined.

The Delphi Economic Forum is one of the most important dialogue platforms in Southeast Europe, bringing together every year political leaders, government officials, experts and representatives of the business and academic communities.

This year’s event, now in its 11th edition, marks the forum’s entry into a new decade and addresses current trends regarding geopolitical and economic challenges, climate risks and digital transformation. The discussions aim to identify common solutions for sustainable and equitable development, with a focus on dialogue, cooperation and innovation.