President: Withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria remains priority in dialogue with European partners

The process of the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union is decided in Brussels and not in Moscow, stated President Maia Sandu, emphasizing that the Transnistrian region is part of the Republic of Moldova and is included in all discussions regarding the country’s European future.

The head of state said that one of the main issues related to the Transnistrian region remains the illegal presence of Russian troops on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. According to the president, this topic is constantly raised both by the authorities in Chișinău and by European partners.

"The Transnistrian region is part of the Republic of Moldova and of course we also discuss the Transnistrian region. The biggest problem is the illegal presence of Russian troops and, obviously, every time both we and they raise this issue. We hope that together we will be able to solve this problem," Maia Sandu said on Pro TV Chișinău.

The president noted that, in the event of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, the European Union could also take into account the Transnistrian issue, including the peaceful withdrawal of Russian military forces from the region. Maia Sandu also drew attention to the cases of Moldovan citizens detained on the left bank of the Dniester, about whom she says are deprived of their liberty without legal grounds. According to the president, the authorities are trying to resolve these situations within the framework of the dialogue between Chișinău and Tiraspol, with the support of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

"Sometimes we succeed, other times we don’t. At the moment, we have several people for whom we cannot obtain release, but the government will continue to make efforts," the head of state specified.

Maia Sandu reiterated the authorities’ objective to sign the EU accession treaty by 2028. She recalled that the Republic of Moldova has received positive assessments from the European Commission and the Council of the EU, but stressed that the success of the process depends on the implementation of the assumed reforms. Referring to the relationship between the accession process of the Republic of Moldova and that of Ukraine, Maia Sandu underlined that the two states will be evaluated individually by the European Union, depending on the reforms and commitments undertaken by each.

According to the president, the European path of the Republic of Moldova should not be conditioned by any difficulties that other candidate states may encounter in their bilateral relations with EU member states.

"We have received countless assurances that the process is merit-based and, therefore, as long as we are not hindered by conditions, we should move forward. You cannot evaluate one country based on the reforms made in another country. We cannot solve the problems if Ukraine has bilateral problems with one country or another. Just as Ukraine cannot come and fulfill our conditions for us," Maia Sandu said.

The head of state added that the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are continuing their European path in parallel, but decisions on advancing negotiations will be taken separately, based on the results achieved by each country in the reform process and in aligning with European Union standards.