“Accession to the European Union is Moldova’s firm objective. With the support of our friends, we will preserve and strengthen peace, democracy and our European path”. This was stated by Nicu Popescu, Deputy Prime Minister /Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, who is visiting Brussels on the invitation of the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell.

Popescu emphasized Moldova’s firm commitment to join the EU and reiterated the condemnation of Russia’s war against Ukraine. “Moldova became a candidate state for joining the EU and managed to deal with the humanitarian, economic and energy crises with the support of external partners, demonstrating our contribution to regional security”, the Moldovan official was quoted in a press release.

Attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council’s meeting in Brussels, Nicu Popescu urged the European Union to impose sanctions against fugitive Moldovan oligarchs who “are trying to destabilize the government and sabotage the EU membership bid”.

“With the European officials, we also spoke about the consolidation of the Moldova-EU hub for internal security and the collaboration and deployment in the Republic of Moldova of the civilian mission with an advisory mandate within the Common Security and Defense Policy to increase the capacity of our country to respond to current challenges”, noted Nicu Popescu.

Also during his visit to Brussels, Nicu Popescu talked with Bogdan Aurescu, Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the Italian Council of Ministers /Minister of Foreign Affairs; Stefano Sannino, Secretary General of the European External Affairs Service (EEAS); Gert-Jan Koopman, director-general of the EU’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and offered interviews to the Financial Times, New York Times and Deutsche Welle.