Moldova could be ready to join the EU by 2030, says Sandu

Moldovan President Maia Sandu expressed confidence that the country will be ready to join the European Union by 2030. 

She said this in an interview with DW.

According to her, European integration is not only a political course for Moldova but also a matter of security.

“I want my country to be safe, and I want Moldova to be part of the free world. It is becoming increasingly difficult for small countries, especially in our region, to maintain and achieve their goals due to the aggression we are seeing from Russia. Therefore, being part of the EU is a strategy for our survival as a democracy,” Sandu said.

She emphasized that the country’s government is working toward full EU membership, not partial forms of integration.

Among the key challenges on the path to the EU, Sandu cited the unrecognized Transnistrian region. At the same time, she stated that Chisinau is working toward a gradual resolution of the situation through economic and financial means.

“We are taking measures in the economic and financial spheres… People in the Transnistrian region have seen that they cannot rely on Russia, as they experienced an energy crisis in the middle of winter when Russia cut off gas supplies,” the president noted.

Commenting on the Russian decree simplifying the granting of citizenship to Transnistrian residents, Sandu stated that most of those who wanted Russian passports have already received them.

She also emphasized that today, in her words, residents of the region are increasingly looking to Moldova and the European Union rather than Russia, and do not want to be drawn into a war against Ukraine.

Earlier, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the EU is not a “concession” on Europe’s part, but a strategic choice for the security of the entire continent. She emphasized that both countries have already proven their right to be part of the European Union by choosing the European path under difficult conditions.

The European Union has moved to the practical stage of preparing Montenegro’s accession treaty. The country continues on its path toward EU integration and has declared its intention to become a member by 2028.

Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation chapters on the country’s accession this year and anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year. 

Ukraine may temporarily forego some of the benefits of EU membership to accelerate the accession process. Taras Kachka noted that such a step would help the country integrate into the EU more quickly.