If the Republic of Moldova comes closer to the big European family, it will enjoy greater security, welfare and development, President Maia Sandu said after the Moldovan authroties signed Moldova’s applciation for EU memberhsip. The official noted the document does not run counter to the status of neutrality stipulated in the Constitution, while Moldova will renounce the CIS member status when it makes enough progress on the path of European integration, IPN reports.
President Sandu said the decision to file an application for EU membership was taken due to the security crisis witnessed in the region. The war in Ukraine is an additional argument showing that Moldova needs the support of the European community.
“It is a moment when we realized again how much we need the support of the European family as this family offers a security guarantee to all those who form part of this Union. It is the guarantee of welfare and development. We need to have and build this in our country. No one changed the Constitution’s provision saying that the Republic of Moldova is a neutral country and there is no incompatibility between our aspiration to become e a member of the European Union and the constitutional provision concerning neutrality,” Maia Sandu stated in the talk show “Shadow Cabinet” on JurnalTV channel.
She noted that together with the signing of the application to join the EU, the European integration becomes a fundamental national objective.
“The submission of the accession application does not mean that we are automatically accepted into the European Union. We realize that we will have to cover a challenging path and the joint efforts of all the citizens and employees of state institutions will be necessary as we need to achieve particular standards to have our application accepted. We will yet have time to take a decision concerning membership in the CIS. When we take a withdrawal decision or apply to obtain a membership status, we start from the concrete interests of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. When we make enough progress on the path to the EU, we will consider when it will be opportune for the Republic of Moldova to withdraw from the CIS,” said Maia Sandu.
President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița and Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu signed the Republic of Moldova’s application for EU membership in the evening of March 3. The document is to be submitted to the European institutions for examination. On February 28, Ukraine signed and filed a similar application under the pressure of the Russian invasion. On March 3, the Prime Minister of Georgia also signed an application to join the European Union.
