Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia are committed to making progress in reforms, wishing to join the EU on a merit-based approach.
President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, stated this after the signing of the Declaration of the Batumi Summit, adopted by the associated trio of state heads of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. She stressed that the Eastern Partnership is a great success for our countries. “Collectively, this has significantly improved our visibility in Europe and helped us gain access to additional tools that help us address common challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, energy security, hybrid threats, environmental and climate issues,” said Maia Sandu. At the same time, she recalled that at the individual level, Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia signed Association Agreements and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA) with the EU, which continue to form the basis of national reform programs and have opened up new market opportunities for business in our states. Maia Sandu noted that for Moldova, DCFTA has opened new opportunities for more active trade, which have not yet been fully exploited. “This year, 52% of Moldovan agri-food exports and 78% of non-agricultural exports go to the EU. For more than 7 years, citizens of Moldova have been able to travel freely within the Schengen area. Many citizens of the Republic of Moldova acquired new skills while traveling, studying or working in Europe and brought with them new experiences and ideas,” said the President of the Republic of Moldova. She noted that during the summit, the heads of the three countries shared their views on the next steps that our countries can take for deeper integration with the EU. “The European Commission's proposal for an updated recovery, resilience and reform agenda for all its eastern partners, backed by a generous economic plan of €2.3 billion and investment potential of up to €17 billion, is great news for our countries looking to expand and deepen their relationship with Europe," said Maia Sandu. According to her, this proposal opens up many opportunities for cooperation with the EU. “We admit that the first and most difficult steps are taken at home. Strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law, ensuring accountability and independence of the judiciary, strengthening anti-corruption institutions and restoring citizens' confidence in the state are the keys to unlocking our unexplored potential in relations with the EU and the rest of the world. These reforms are a necessity that cannot be avoided or postponed. In this regard, we welcome the EU principle of “more for more” and the principle of conditionality,” Moldovan President said. // 20.07.2021 - InfoMarket
