President Maia Sandu started consultations for organizing a referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union. The head of state met with a group of journalists, civil society experts and opinion formers, IPN reports.

“The meeting was the first of a series of consultations that will take place in the next period and will include representatives of local communities, the private sector, civil society, opinion formers, journalists, people from various sectors of the economy and sociocultural life, and also political parties,” the presidential administration said.

At the end of December, when she announced that she would  run for a second term in office as President, Maia Sandu asked Parliament to organize a referendum in which citizens would pronounce on the country’s path to the European Union.

“The Republic of Moldova is at a crucial stage, when the countries of the European Union voted to start negotiations on our country’s accession to the community bloc. Now it is our citizens’ turn to pronounce and say if this is what they want - to go forward, to build a truly European country, where peace, stability and welfare dominate,” said Maia Sandu.