Nicu Popescu, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, spoke in Brussels about the need to sanction fugitive oligarchs.

Attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council on the invitation of the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, Popescu reiterated Moldova’s firm commitment to EU accession, “a project of peace, democracy and prosperity”.

“We reflected on the past year, one full of shocks. Our security was threatened by Russia’s war against Ukraine, which we have condemned and continue to condemn vehemently. During this period, the Republic of Moldova has faced several crises: humanitarian, economic and energy-related, continuing to face a hybrid war. In my speech in Brussels, I emphasized that the Republic of Moldova, with the support of our foreign partners, has managed to face these challenges”, said Popescu.

“In Brussels, we also discussed the need to intensify cooperation with the EU in the field of security and defense. I spoke about the assistance we receive through the European Peace Facility, the cooperation with the European Border Police and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, the consolidation of the Moldova-EU hub for internal security and the cooperation with the European Union Satellite Center” , added the deputy prime minister.

The official also discussed the deployment in Moldova of the civilian mission with an advisory mandate within the Common Security and Defense Policy in order to increase our country’s capacity to respond to the current challenges. “I informed my interlocutors about the progress made in the implementation of the 9 recommendations presented in the opinion of the European Commission, as well as about the intensification of efforts to transpose the Community acquis into national legislation”, noted the foreign minister.

Another topic of common interest was the summit of the European Political Community, which the Republic of Moldova is hosting in June 2023. “I reiterated that the meeting is an important element of diplomatic support for the Republic of Moldova in a difficult regional context. Like other countries, we are interested in the development of concrete cooperation projects within the Community. In this past year we have shown that we can deal with extremely serious crisis situations. The Republic of Moldova will remain firmly on the path of joining the EU and will work alongside and with the support of our friends to preserve and strengthen peace, democracy and our European path”, added Nicu Popescu.