Over 200 specialists from various fields related to European integration – of public institutions, the media and civil society – came together for the international conference “Next Steps in the Process of Joining the European Union”, organized by the Office for European Integration in Chisinau. Together with experts from Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, the participants are discussing the experience of the Western Balkan states that have already started the negotiation process, as well as the next steps that the Republic of Moldova will take on its European path, IPN reports.

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gerasimov said that the Republic of Moldova is anchored in a firm path towards the European Union. “We must ensure that all the state institutions, including civil society, businesses and academia – are part of this process of transforming our society through which we bring the European values and standards to our home. We all want a stronger and more resilient European Moldova, anchored in a European family where peace and prosperity are at the head of the table, ready to face the challenges of today and tomorrow,” Cristina Gerasimov stated in the opening remarks.

“We are now in the second phase of the expansion process. The bilateral screening requires a lot of attention and I’m confident that the Republic of Moldova will become even stronger as a result of this process, but also more prepared for accession. The European Union was and is ready to support the Republic of Moldova on its way to the EU,” said Erika Hasznos, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova.

The event was also attended online by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. “We have an ambitious European agenda. Both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are getting closer to the EU. The EU enlargement is an extremely important window and we need to ensure that we make the most of this opportunity,” said Olha Stefanishyna.

The international conference “Next Steps in the Process of Joining the European Union” was organized with the support of the EU-funded project “Support for structured policy dialogue, coordination of the implementation of the Association Agreement and enhancement of the legal approximation process for the Republic of Moldova”.