Moldova's President Maia Sandu has urged the European Union to open all negotiation cluster by the end of the year over her country's accession to the bloc. Addressing an EU summit in Brussels on Tuesday, Sandu stressed her that Moldova would further pursue reforms in the judiciary and energy sector.
Earlier on November 1, Maia Sandu said Moldova was committed to joining the European Union but her country needs "clarity" and "sustained engagement" from the bloc to make progress towards integration.
“What we need now is sustained engagement and clarity from the EU to keep enlargement as a strategic priority and to maintain the momentum for those who deliver," Sandu said in an interview with Euronews .Sandu explained that since negotiations over Moldova's EU accession were opened in 2024, Chisinau “has shown determination and delivered on its commitments."
It should be noted that the EU has allocated 1.9 billion euros in an attempt to boost the former Soviet republic's economy and reduce its vulnerability to external factors, such as pressure from Russia. The loan is partly funded through loans and grants with the backing of the European Investment Bank and will be provided for a period of three years.
Moldova, along with Ukraine, applied for the EU membership in March 2022 and were granted a candidate status in June 2025. Negotiations over formal accession started in June 2024.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated his country's commitment to joining the EU. In his address to Euronews' enlargement summit, Zelenskiy stressed his country's future lied within the European Union. Asked about Ukraine's possible membership of the EU by 2030, Zelenskiy said although it sounded like a "science fiction," he would "like to believe that Ukraine will be in the EU before that date." "I would like that to take place in a fair way when Ukraine is standing for itself and when the war is over," Zelenskiy stated.
