President Maia Sandu has welcomed today’s decision of the European Council to open accession negotiations with Moldova by describing it as “everybody’s victory”. “We are Europeans and this is being acknowledged across the EU”, the Moldovan president declared in a congratulatory comment.

“27 heads of state and government of the European Union said ‘yes’ for our country, they said ‘yes’ for our European future. It is a new page in our history. Two years ago, no one could have imagined that in 2023 the European Commission would propose the opening of accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova”, said the president.

Maia Sandu went on to add that “today’s success is the merit of the entire (Moldovan) society - of all those who choose democracy and prosperity, who work with perseverance and patience, who went out to vote, protested for freedom and never stopped believing that Moldova deserves more”.

On Thursday, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, while granting Georgia candidate status. The EU will also open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached.