Discussions about the country’s possible accession to the European Union (EU) have been going on in Moldova for 20 years, but the decisive push for the country’s European integration process was the full-scale war launched by Russia in Ukraine. The current leadership of Moldova has set membership in the EU as the main goal of the country, towards which it is moving smoothly. But Russia and its agents of influence are still doing everything to keep Moldova from breaking out of the gray zone where it has been since independence more than 30 years ago.
Latvia and Moldova are separated by thousands of kilometers, but both countries were part of the Soviet Union for half a century, which they were illegally included in during World War II. In 1991, Latvia and Moldova gained independence, which opened up new opportunities and also created a series of challenges. Latvia will soon celebrate the 20th anniversary of its accession to the European Union (EU), but Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, received an invitation to start negotiations on joining the bloc only last December.
The President of Moldova, Maija Sandu, has set the goal of joining the EU by 2030. It will be difficult to implement, because the country needs to carry out a series of reforms, for example in the field of justice and in the fight against corruption. And a serious obstacle to Moldova’s EU integration is the separatist region of Transnistria, where a few thousand Russian military personnel are still stationed.
EU Ambassador to Moldova Jānis Mazeiks did not hide that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine significantly accelerated Moldova’s EU integration process.
Optimism about Moldova’s European integration process is enhanced by the fact that the government and president are in power in the country, who are determined to do everything necessary for Moldova to become a full member of the EU as soon as possible, Mazeik said.
In Moldova, discussions about the country’s accession to the EU have been going on since around 2005, and Russia has always tried to prevent Moldova from getting closer to Europe. This was confirmed by Moscow’s decision to increase the price of gas and ban the import of Moldovan wine, which was painful for the economy of the small country.
Latvijas Radio invites you to express your opinion about what you heard in the program and supports discussions among listeners, however, reserves the right to delete comments that violate the boundaries of respectful attitude and ethical behavior.
-
