Speaker attends conference of speakers of EU candidate countries

Speaker Igor Grosu took part today in the inaugural Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of countries candidate for accession to the European Union, held in Belgrade. On the sidelines of the event, he held bilateral meetings with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Ana Brnabić, Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia.

“The candidate states to the European Union have different paths, but the same direction: a more united, more democratic and safer Europe. Today in Belgrade I took part in the first Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of these states, a useful format for exchanging experience and coordination,” said Grosu.

The official noted that the accession process must remain merit-based and that when the committed reforms are implemented, progress must be acknowledged through concrete steps.

“I emphasized that the accession process must remain merit-based. Every country must do its homework. But when reforms are carried out, progress must be recognized through concrete steps,” he said.

During the conference, Igor Grosu held bilateral meetings with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Ana Brnabić, Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia.

“We discussed the relations between our parliaments, support for Ukraine and the European path of our countries. The Republic of Moldova knows where it is heading. And we will continue to work so that this European path is pursued with seriousness and with concrete results for citizens,” concluded Igor Grosu.

The inaugural Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of countries candidate for accession to the European Union took place in Belgrade. It was organized at the initiative of the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk. The event brought together the Speakers of Parliament from the candidate countries to discuss the common challenges and opportunities of the EU accession process, to exchange experience and best practices, to promote joint initiatives and to lay the foundations for a permanent platform for dialogue, coordination and mutual support at parliamentary level.

The main theme of the conference is “European integration in a changing geopolitical context”, with a focus on the role of parliaments of candidate countries in advancing the European integration process.