Even if Russia and its proxies are actively working to destabilize the pro-reform government of Moldova, this continues working on reforms that aim to bring the country closer to the European Union, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi said in his speech delivered in the European Parliament on behalf of High-Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, IPN reports.
“Since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Moldova has been facing the consequences of Russia’s brutal aggression just tens of kilometers away from its borders. It has been confronted with a growing number of challenges, such as loss of key markets, soaring inflation, violations of its airspace, and staged protests. Nevertheless, Moldova has shown remarkable solidarity with the refugees fleeing Ukraine,” stated Oliver Várhelyi.
He noted that over the last months, there have been increasing Russian attempts to destabilize Moldova with hybrid actions. “The President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has warned about plans to attempt a change of power through violent means. Russia’s lies about Ukraine massing troops to attack Moldova’s pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria were swiftly denied by Chisinau. At the same time, high energy prices and high inflation have increased the burden on the population, worsening their living conditions. Russia has used again energy supplies as a political weapon, but the Moldovan government, with the EU’s support, has managed to tackle these unprecedented challenges,” stated the European Commissioner.
Oliver Várhelyi said that despite all the pressures, Moldova, now as an EU candidate country, continues working on reforms that aim to bring the country closer to the European Union. Over the last 12 months, the EU has put together a comprehensive support package worth more than €1 billion to strengthen Moldova’s resilience.
“Moreover, the Economic and Investment Plan for our Eastern partners has a significant potential which needs to be fully tapped to support Moldova’s reforms agenda. The five flagship initiatives, we agreed together, aim to unlock €1.6 billion of investments for Moldova. We are supporting the modernization of Moldova’s defense sector with the support of the European Peace Facility (EPF). By providing €47 million, we will effectively double Moldova’s national defense budget.
“High Representative/Vice President Borrell is taking forward the work on preparing a possible EU Civilian CSDP mission to further strengthen Moldova’s security and resilience. The deployment of such a mission would provide yet another important political sign of the European Union’s support in the current difficult circumstances. The [European] Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) services, together with Member States, are also exploring a possible new sanctions regime, targeting individuals who seek to destabilize this country,” noted Oliver Várhelyi.
Moldova, in June, it will host the second Summit of the European Political Community. “I want to reassure you that the European Union stands in solidarity with the people of Moldova, even in these challenging times. The future of Moldova and its citizens is within the European Union,” concluded the European official.
