Borrell reaffirms EU support for Moldova

On 18 January, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, met in Brussels with Moldova president Maia Sandu, as was reported by the press service of the European External Action Service. Sandu is currently visiting Brussels on her first trip to the European institutions since taking office in December.

A statement posted on the website of the European External Action Service said that Josep Borrell reaffirmed the commitment of the EU to strengthen political association and economic integration with the Republic of Moldova by working in close partnership, on the basis of the ambitious Association Agreement.

He welcomed the President’s strong focus on and mandate for reforms, strengthening the rule of law and tackling corruption, and assured her of the EU’s full support in this endeavour, which is key to bringing tangible benefits to the lives of Moldovan people. They also discussed internal developments and the need for decisive and effective steps to regain the trust of Moldovan citizens in state institutions, to build a strong and independent judiciary and ensure a stable financial and banking sector.

Regarding the challenges resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the High Representative/Vice-President recalled the EU’s strong solidarity with the Republic of Moldova. In addition to €108 million mobilised to deliver protective equipment, strengthen the healthcare system and support socio-economic recovery, the Republic of Moldova has already also benefitted from €50 million of emergency Macro-Financial Assistance from the EU.

High Representative/Vice-President Borrell underlined the EU’s commitment to help ensuring that coronavirus vaccines are accessible to all, including in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood. Furthermore, additional EU assistance, in particular through the World Health Organisation, can be used by the Moldovan authorities to be adequately prepared for the coronavirus vaccination campaign.

High Representative and President Sandu also discussed the situation in the Transnistrian region. The High Representative reiterated the EU’s commitment to a peaceful, comprehensive and sustainable settlement process within the framework of the 5+2 process and reaffirmed its steadfast support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within internationally recognised borders, in line with the OSCE Ministerial Statement from December 2020.

In Brussels Maia Sandu is expected to meet with leaders of the European Union including President of the Commission Ursula van der Leyen and Council president Charles Michel.

source: commonspace.eu with the press service of the European External Action Service

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Key European countries back Denmark in the face of Trump's continuing insistence on taking over Greenland

Key European countries back Denmark in the face of Trump's continuing insistence on taking over Greenland

 Six major European countries have declared their support to Denmark following renewed insistence by the US that it must have control over Greenland. "Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations," said the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain, in a joint statement, issued on Tuesday (6 January), together with Denmark. On Sunday, Donald Trump said the US "needed" Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow Nato member Denmark - for security reasons. He has refused to rule out the use of force to take control of the territory, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that an attack by the US would spell the end of Nato. The issue of Greenland's future resurfaced in the wake of the US military intervention in Venezuela, during which elite troops went in to seize the country's President Nicolás Maduro and take him to face drugs and weapons charges in New York. Following the raid, Trump said the US would "run" Venezuela for an unspecified period of time. He also said the US was returning to an 1823 policy of US supremacy in its sphere of influence in the Western hemisphere - and he warned a number of countries the US could turn its attention to them. The US military raid in Venezuela has reignited fears that the US may consider using force to secure control of Greenland. A day after the raid, Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's senior aides - posted on social media a map of Greenland in the colours of the American flag, alongside the word "SOON". On Monday, her husband Stephen Miller said it was "the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US". In an interview with CNN, he also said the US "is the power of Nato. For the US to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US." Asked repeatedly whether the US would rule out using force to annex it, Miller responded: "Nobody's going to fight the US over the future of Greenland." Stressing they were as keen as the US in Arctic security, the seven European signatories of Tuesday's joint statement said this must be achieved by Nato allies, including the US "collectively" - whilst "upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders". Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the statement and called for "respectful dialogue". "The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland's status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity," Nielsen said. Trump has claimed that making Greenland part of the US would serve American security interests due to its strategic location and its abundance of minerals critical to high-tech sectors. Greenland, which has a population of 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands. While most Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US.

Popular