The Ambassador of France in Chisinau Graham Paul said the submission by Moldova of the application for EU membership is a very important event. The Moldovan authorities’ responsibility is to provide exhaustive information through the Questionnaire of the European Commission. A decision concerning the granting of the candidate country status will be taken later by a unanimous vote. France has a favorable attitude to the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.
The French diplomat noted that the accession questionnaire contains questions that will help determine Moldova’s democratization and economic development levels.
“The political criterion is the first one. It will be established if the institutions are solid, stable, guarantee democracy and the rule of law, human rights, protection of the minorities. The economic criterion is the second one. A competitive market economy that can cope with the competition from other European countries is required. The Community acquis is the last criterion. This consists of a set of principles, directives that ensure the proper functioning of institutions. Following the Commission’s report, the member states are to take a unanimous decision as to the granting of the candidate country status to the Republic of Moldova. We will make effort to move fast and hope that a decision will be taken by the end of June, which is by the end of the French Presidency,” Graham Paul stated in the talk show “Prime Time” on PrimeTV channel.
The diplomat refused to say if his country will vote in favor of the Republic of Moldova when the relevant decision will be put to the vote, but noted that France will support Moldova’s rapprochement with the EU by economic development and rule of law strengthening projects.
“I cannot anticipate France’s decision, but I know that the French authorities have a very favorable attitude to the candidacy of the Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, Moldova already forms part of the European family, has close ties with the European Union owing to the Association Agreement, the Free Trade Agreement, the visa-free regime. We can say that a part of the road was already covered. This is only a beginning for the Republic of Moldova. This effort will be supported by the European states, including France,” said the French diplomat.
On April 11, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi handed over the accession Questionnaire of the European Commission to Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu in Brussels. The answers that will be given to the questions from the questionnaire will show if Moldova is ready to join the EU, underlining the areas where additional efforts need to be made.
