PHOTO // Lithuania’s foreign affairs minister says Moldova ready to open remaining negotiation clusters, Lithuania strongly supports accelerating this process

Moldova is ready to open the remaining negotiation clusters for accession to the European Union. Lithuania firmly supports accelerating the process and wants it to be completed by January 1, 2027, when it will assume the presidency of the Council of the EU. Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Kęstutis Budrys today made statements to this effect, during a press conference held in Vilnius together with his Moldovan counterpart, Mihai Popsoi.

The discussions focused on Moldova’s reform agenda and the next steps in the EU accession process, cooperation and the expansion of the Moldovan-Lithuanian relations in areas of mutual interest, as well as developments concerning regional security.

Kęstutis Budrys reaffirmed Lithuania’s strong support for Moldova’s European path and for accelerating the accession process. The official underscored that the enlargement of the European Union would be one of the foreign policy priorities during Lithuania’s presidency of the Council of the EU.

“When we talk about enlargement, we naturally think, first and foremost, of the countries that are closest to us, and Moldova is among them. Lithuania is preparing intensively for the presidency of the Council of the European Union, which it will assume on January 1, 2027. This means that we will have more responsibilities and will clearly establish our priorities. Therefore, the European Union’s agenda was an important topic of our discussions,” said Lithuania’s diplomacy head.

The Lithuanian minister highlighted the good level of economic relations between the two states, noting that more Lithuanian companies are present on the Moldovan market. He also referred to the importance of the defense sector in developing the bilateral cooperation.

“We are trying to identify areas in which we can expand cooperation. One of them is the defense industry, as well as dual-use technologies, where our companies could find opportunities. Moldova, as a future member state of the European Union, will also be part of the common defense system. We discussed the security situation and cooperation in this area, as Lithuania is one of the countries actively participating in various projects in Moldova, including twinning projects. We have well-established relations with Moldova’s security institutions and cooperation between the defense and law enforcement institutions is solid,” the official said.

The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy praised the good cooperation with Moldova on the period of intensified Russian interference in the country.

“One such period was last year’s elections, when our teams worked with institutions of Moldova and also learned from the experience gained, because the fact that a state is subjected to attacks so intense and so broad in scope is not something that happens every day in Europe. Moldova withstood these attacks, and democracy prevailed. Free elections were held and we greatly appreciate their result. These lessons and experiences must be shared with our partners in the European Union, because democracies are under attack everywhere,” Kęstutis Budrys added.

For his part, Mihai Popsoi appreciated Lithuania’s support for advancing the country’s European path and thanked the Vilnius authorities for their openness to sharing the experience and best practices accumulated during the EU accession process. In the context, the official highlighted Lithuania’s contribution through development assistance projects, particularly in such areas as strengthening national institutions, cybersecurity, crisis management and enhancing the resilience of the state.

“We are greatly counting on Lithuania’s leadership during its presidency of the Council of the EU to advance the EU accession process in a credible way. I can assure you that Moldova will fulfill its commitments. You will never have to convince others that our country is meeting its commitments, because our actions will speak for themselves, just as they have done so far. Moldova’s progress would not have been possible without the mobilization of our citizens, without the support and solidarity of our friends in the international community. For Moldova, Lithuania’s expertise is extremely valuable, as it helps us better understand the challenges, be better prepared for the next stages of the negotiations and implement the reforms necessary for European integration. Moldova is ready to open the other four clusters, and we are counting on Lithuania’s support, including during the period when it assumes the presidency of the Council of the EU at the beginning of 2027,” noted the head of Moldovan diplomacy.

Mihai Popsoi emphasized that Lithuania had played an important role in strengthening Moldova’s resilience, including in the areas of security and defense, hybrid attacks, economic resilience and social resilience.

“The support Lithuania has provided for the modernization of Moldova’s security and defense sector is extremely important, especially in the context of the serious challenges we face in the region. This assistance also extends to such areas as environmental protection, border security and internal affairs. We would also like to see more investment on behalf of our Lithuanian friends in Moldova’s economy. Our success is also your success, and we are grateful for the support provided. We look forward to moving forward with the same determination, because we share a difficult history, but we also share a very strong hope and determination to have a prosperous, stable and peaceful common future,” Mihai Popsoi concluded.

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Mihai Popsoi is paying a working visit to Lithuania today. During the visit, the official will meet Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Remigijus Motuzas, Chair of the Committee on National Security and Defense Rimantas Sinkevičius, as well as the chief foreign policy adviser to the President of Lithuania, Asta Skaisgirytė.

Mihai Popsoi will also participate as a speaker in the discussion panel titled, The European Path of Moldova and the Country’s Foreign and Security Policy Priorities, organized by the Vilnius Centre for Geopolitics and Security Studies.