Unlikely that EU will accept countries with border disputes, British lord says

It seems that the EU now feels that the question of Cyprus was badly handled, and is unlikely that the EU will in future accept in membership any country which has serious border disputes with its neighbours. This is also the case of Moldova, British Lord Dubs of Battersea stated in his speech delivered in the Moldovan Parliament on Friday, October 5. The British lord also said he is aware of Moldova’s difficult position following the accession of Romania and of the difficulties Moldovan citizens face in obtaining visas for the Schengen zone. At the same time, it very much depends on Moldova itself when it comes to its European integration prospects. Moldova must have an independent judiciary and ensure that the human rights and the rights of minorities are fully observed. The more it will progress in these areas, the biggest will be the chances to join the EU and the harder will be for the member countries to refuse Moldova’s European integration, the British lord concluded. Lord Dubs of Battersea is Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Moldova and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on European Union Enlargement. This is his third visit to Moldova in the last two years.