"We have come together to declare our intention to restore peace on the continent" - Maia Sandu.
The President of Moldova stated this at a press conference following the results of the II Summit of the European Political Community, which took place on June 1 in the Mimi Castle. Maia Sandu expressed her gratitude to the European Political Community (EPC) leaders for their confidence in Moldova and the decision to host the summit in a country that is not a member of the EU and is located only 20 km from Ukraine. “We have united the entire continent to confirm our firm and collective determination to restore peace in Europe, to show the world our strength and unity when the stability of the continent is under threat,” said Maia Sandu. She also thanked the EPC countries for their assistance in difficult situations and crises that have occurred recently. The President of Moldova said that the summit participants discussed issues related to security, energy sustainability, countering hybrid threats. According to her, the parties agreed to intensify joint efforts to strengthen the security and cyber resilience of critical infrastructure. The President said that not only issues of common European importance were discussed at the summit, but also decisions were made that are of great importance for Moldova. Among them are the reduction of tariffs for roaming services with EU countries, a new assistance package from the EU in the amount of about 1.6 billion euros, Norway's offer of financial assistance of 50 million euros, the opening of the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova, etc. Maia Sandu stressed that Moldova will continue efforts to strengthen the country's defense sector, as well as continue the implementation of the EU accession action plan. Answering journalists' questions about the possibility of Moldova joining the EU in 2030, the head of Moldova said that the authorities and citizens of the country should make every effort to prepare for joining the European Union, stressing that "everything depends on us." In this context, she emphasized the importance of combating disinformation and fake news about the EU, which is spread by the Kremlin propaganda. Maia Sandu also said that the unresolved Transnistrian conflict is not an obstacle to joining the EU, and the Moldovan authorities are making every effort to reintegrate the country. Recall that the 1st European Political Community Summit was held last autumn in the Czech Republic, and the next summit will be held in Spain. The European Political Community is an interstate organization created last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has become a platform for political and strategic discussions about Europe's pressing issues (security, stability and energy sustainability). Members of the European Political Community are about 50 countries that are members of the EU, the Eurozone, the Schengen zone, the Customs Union, GUAM, etc. // 01/.06.2023 — InfoMarket
