To join the EU, Europe's poorest country needs to increase sanctions on Russia

The European Commission (EC) – the EU's executive body, in its annual progress report, recommended opening conditional membership talks with Moldova, while calling on Chisinau to take further steps to comply with EU restrictions and sanctions against Russia.

Thus, Moldova – a country of 2.6 million people, the poorest in Europe, located between Ukraine and Romania – has just taken another step on the path to joining the European Union (EU), but there is still much work to be done.

Chisinau, along with Kiev, was awarded EU candidate status last June, and the EC report released on November 8 praised the small southeastern European country for meeting six of the nine criteria needed to open membership talks.

The report highlighted Chisinau's unwavering support for Kiev since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine and praised the country for accepting large numbers of refugees, noting that Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, is home to the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita.

However, the report called on Chisinau to make more sustained efforts to comply with the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the EU on Russia since the conflict in Ukraine broke out in February 2022.

World - To join the EU, Europe's poorest country needs to increase sanctions against Russia — Moldovan President Maia Sandu and EU and European leaders attend the European Political Community (EPC) Summit, in Moldova, June 1, 2023. Initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron as a platform for unity on the broader European front, the EPC brings together the leaders of the 27 EU member states, as well as leaders of countries with different strategic interests such as the United Kingdom, Turkey, Switzerland, Iceland, Serbia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Photo: Le Monde

Last year, Moldova achieved a 54% compliance rate with the 27-member bloc’s restrictions. This year, Moldova has begun to gradually comply with some of the 115 EU restrictions on Russia’s activities abroad, the report said, noting that compliance had reached 78% as of August, coinciding with Chisinau’s expulsion of 22 Russian diplomats and 23 embassy staff, a two-thirds reduction.

Furthermore, Moldova this year imposed sanctions on 13 Russian citizens, including several members of the Wagner PMC private military group.

However, “more needs to be done to align EU restrictions and strengthen their enforcement, including by strengthening the national authorities responsible for this action,” the EC report said.

Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu – who defeated her pro-Russian predecessor Igor Dodon in November 2020 – welcomed the report’s findings and recommendations, pledging to step up reforms to complete EU accession by the end of the decade.

“We have a lot of work to do because the path we have chosen is challenging. Work does not scare us and our goal is to make Moldova ready to join the EU by 2030,” Sandu said on Facebook on November 8.

“Moldova's accession to the EU is our only chance to secure a peaceful, free and prosperous future for the country . ”

Minh Duc (According to RFE/RL, TVP World)

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