Visiting Moldova on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron conveyed three key messages, including a message of friendship and admiration for the work done by Moldova and its generosity shown to Ukrainian refugees. The second message is in support of Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the third is one of solidarity. According Emmanuel Macron, the Republic of Moldova is not alone in the face of difficulties and can count on the support of France and the European Union. This was stated during a press conference held together with President Maia Sandu, after a meeting behind closed doors, IPN reports.
Maia Sandu noted that this is the first visit of a French president to Moldova in the last 24 years. It is also symbolic that the visit takes place in the year that marks the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. According to her, the relationship between France and Moldova has become much more dynamic in the last one and a half year. “Frequent and productive contacts confirm the special character of the Moldovan-French friendship. We have a consistent bilateral agenda. Today, the governments of our countries will sign three important agreements for the Republic of Moldova,” said Maia Sandu.
The President said that France and Moldova has a good partnership in the field of fighting corruption, including in recovering stolen assets. “The partnership between our countries over the past year has made it possible to identify some criminal assets originating from Moldova within the territory of France. In order for the identified assets to return to Moldova, the institutional dialogue between the National Anticorruption Center and the French Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets needs to be strengthened. Also, we initiated a partnership between the National Integrity Authority and the French High Authority for Transparency in Public Life”, said Maia Sandu.
“For 30 years, France has been with the Republic of Moldova, including in difficult times, such as the period we are now going through, with Russia’s war against Ukraine at our borders. Moldova strongly condemned the Russian military aggression and we have advocated for the restoration of peace”, Maia Sandu noted. The President added that, despite the difficulties, the authorities are stepping up their efforts to change the lives of citizens for the better: reforms have been initiated in various areas, work is being done to strengthen democracy and governmental institutions, and cooperation is strong with the European Union, which is Moldova’s main economic and development partner.
Maia Sandu expressed hope that Moldova’s application for EU candidate status will be supported by EU member states at the Brussels Summit. “We are counting, Mr. President, on the continued support of France for the status of candidate country of the Republic of Moldova. In the difficult conditions we are facing, this important step will help us continue the initiated reforms and the consolidation of our democracy”, the Moldovan President declared.
Emmanuel Macron noted that his visit takes place at a special time for France, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council. He also noted that his visit to Chisinau comes in a twofold context - the war and the fact that Moldova is a neighbor of Ukraine suffering from Russian aggression; at the same time, Moldova has a leadership that firmly voices its desire for democracy, peace and integration in Europe. “You are doing this with great courage in a country that is fully oriented towards the European Union in terms of economic relations and values. You are a francophone and francophile country, which is already deeply rooted in the European family”, he declared.
Emmanuel Macron also said that what is happening in Ukraine is a threat to the stability of the region and has consequences for lives and economies. According to him, Russia violated the fundamental principles of collective security established after World War II, deciding to violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
His visit aims to show the determination to strengthen the relationship between France and the European Union with Moldova. According to him, Moldova’s desire to join the European family is perfectly legitimate. The request is to be debated on the basis of an opinion from the European Commission. The official mentioned that France will play its role of president to allow a consensus to be reached that recognizes the extent of the efforts made and the legitimate desire of the Moldovan people to join the EU, considering the situation. “In addition, I want to offer accelerated guarantees of cooperation for Moldova, which do not replace the accession process, but which aim to open up concrete ways of solidarity and cooperation as soon as possible”, declared the French President.
