Moldova wants to join EU as soon as possible due to Russian threat – Sandu
Given the threat from Russia, Moldova seeks to gain membership in the European Union as soon as possible. It hopes for a decision on the start of negotiations in the coming months. Moldova also said it no longer uses Russian natural gas or electricity after ending its dependence on it after the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine.
President of Moldova, Maya Sandu, stated this in an interview with AFP, Rubryka reports.
For Sandu, membership in the EU is the only guarantee that Moldova will not become Russia's next target.
"Of course, nothing compares to what is happening in Ukraine, but we see the risks and believe that we can save our democracy only as part of the EU," she said. "We believe that Russia will continue to be a great source of instability in the years to come, and we need to protect ourselves."
Sandu accused Russia of organizing a coup to seize power in Moldova. She called on Moldovans, who, according to polls, mostly favor the country joining the European Union, to hold a rally in support of the EU on Sunday.
"The war in Ukraine made everything black and white. So, it is obvious what the free world means and what the authoritarian world means for all of us," the president said.
Regarding Transnistria, Sandu said that Chisinau is fighting for a peaceful conflict settlement, and "we called on Russia to withdraw its illegally stationed troops."
"We need a geopolitical opportunity to settle the conflict," added the president of Moldova.
Sandu, who initiated the process of the country's exit from the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States, stressed: "What kind of relationship can you have with a regime that kills innocent people in a neighboring country?"
According to her, Moldova is ready to cooperate only with "democratic countries, with countries that respect the territorial integrity of other countries, that respect the system based on international rules."
The president also noted that Moldova has not yet revised its position of neutrality.
"But in our society, there are discussions about whether neutrality protects us, and if at some point people change their point of view, of course, we will review this decision. In the meantime, we are trying to consolidate the defense sector of Moldova and count on our friends," she said.
As reported, on June 1, Moldova will hold the second summit of the European Political Community.
On Thursday, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean will attend a conference on security issues in Bucharest, Rubrika reports with reference to The Guardian.
"If at the beginning of the war, 100% of the energy consumed by Moldova came from Russia, today Moldova can exist completely without natural gas or electricity from Russia," he said.
"Moldova no longer consumes Russian gas. It is integrated into the European energy network both technically and commercially," Recean emphasized.
The EU agreed on the so-called joint gas procurement platform, which allows member countries to avoid competition among themselves on the global energy market and to take full advantage of the European Union's joint purchasing power. The participants of this platform are also Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans countries.
In April, the Moldovan company Energocom signed a framework agreement with the Greek gas operator DEPA Commercial.
