Moldova enjoys a huge support of the European Union and achieving the goal of its accession to the EU by 2028 largely depends on the country's progress in this period - Kaja Kallas
This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission in an interview with Radio Moldova. She noted that the status of a candidate country for EU accession imposes certain obligations, especially in the course of reforms, and the EU also requires candidate countries to carry out reforms. “These are not reforms that we want to carry out just for the sake of reforms. We want these reforms to be implemented for the benefit of citizens. Indeed, these reforms are necessary for a country to prosper. For example, if investors believe in the judiciary, they will believe in the rule of law and they will certainly invest in the economy. This means jobs; it means better living conditions for citizens. These reforms are difficult and complex, but we are here to support Moldova. And, of course, such collective efforts are also required from all the citizens,” Kaja Kallas emphasized. While asked how realistic the deadline of 2028 announced by the Moldovan authorities for the country's possible accession to the European Union is, she said that Moldova has to implement all the reforms and all the steps to be taken in the accession process. “The way these reforms will be carried out depends a lot on you, on your government. On the other hand, it is also the work of the European Union, which depends on the 27 member states. If you do your homework, we also have to do our homework on the European side. You need the support of all 27 member states to make a decision. We will work simultaneously. I know that Moldova has tremendous support. For this reason, coming back to the question of how achievable this goal is by 2028, it largely depends on the progress you make,” Kaja Kallas said. She also said that Moldova's security is also of interest for Europe, which is trying to help Moldova to increase its resilience, to strengthen its resistance to various threats. “We know that there are also threats related to disinformation. We have to fight foreign influence. The steps we are taking in this direction are based on the tools we have at our disposal to help you increase resilience in Moldova. And, of course, we aim to help you as much as possible, as Moldova's security is also of interest for Europe,” Kaja Kallas emphasized. When asked about the role of the European Union in facilitating the dialog on the Transnistrian conflict, what are the prospects for its peaceful and long-term solution and whether it is possible for Moldova to join the EU before the final resolution of this conflict, Kaja Kallas said that it is important that any conflict of this kind does not take the process of accession to the European Union as a “hostage” and that the accession process does not become “hostage” to the conflict. “However, the two processes are different. If you look at other countries that have joined the European Union, some of them have also had problems. In the end, it depends a lot on the reforms that will be carried out, and reintegration is of course of interest to Moldovan citizens. We want there to be no tensions of this kind. However, the enlargement process will take place regardless of whether the conflict is resolved or not,” Kaja Kallas said. While speaking about the EU support possibilities to fight disinformation in Moldova, especially in the context of the parliamentary elections this fall, she said that the EU has at its disposal various tools developed to fight disinformation, but the most important is education, because citizens also need to distinguish between truth and lies and disinformation. Sometimes these tools are manipulated. “We have digital tools that make this fight more difficult. My favorite quote is a quote Winston Churchill said after World War II. Churchill said: “A lie manages to get halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” That's why it's so important to confront these challenges. We are talking about media literacy, about teaching citizens to understand what information is true and what is false,” Kaja Kallas emphasized. She said that Moldova, like other countries, should fight against misinformation. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission said that the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova are important for the country and its citizens, who should decide on the future of the country and its course. Kaja Kallas emphasized that, as the polls show, the general support for the EU accession in Moldova is very high. She noted that, by the example of her country Estonia, we can say that the EU brings prosperity to the citizens. For example, 4 years before joining the EU in Estonia, the country's GDP per capita was only 5% of the EU average, after the accession this indicator increased, and now it is 90% of the European average. “The EU brings prosperity to citizens, it is in their interests,” said Kaja Kallas. She emphasized that she does see a lot of progress in Moldova and believes that many things are evolving in the right direction. “The evolution is really happening. It is a very positive thing. I saw that there are positive changes,” Kaja Kallas noted. // 24.04.2025 - InfoMarket.
