Romanian Government Vows Continued Support for Moldova's European Path, Affirms Prime Minister

The Romanian Prime Minister declares his readiness to further support Moldova on its way to EU accession.

The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, stated during a phone conversation on December 12 with his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Receanu, that Bucharest will continue to support Moldova's path towards the European Union. This was reported by NewsMaker.

"The Romanian government will steadfastly support Moldova's European path and be a reliable partner throughout the accession process," Marcel Ciolacu stated.

In turn, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Receanu expressed gratitude to his Romanian counterpart for the support from the Romanian government at the beginning of the negotiation process with the European Union, including in light of the upcoming European Council summit in a few days.

"We confidently look towards our European future, knowing that we have such a friend as Romania, which always wholeheartedly supports us in achieving our European goals," said the Moldovan Prime Minister.

Representatives of the governments of Moldova and Romania also reported that during the phone dialogue, the prime ministers discussed bilateral cooperation with a focus on the implementation of joint projects between the Republic of Moldova and Romania for the benefit of citizens in both countries. This included collaboration in the energy sector and the development of cross-border infrastructure.

Recall that on November 8, the European Commission recommended to the European Council to start negotiations on the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU. Unanimous approval from the 27 EU member countries is required to begin the negotiations. The final decision is expected to be made by the heads of states and governments at the European Council summit on December 14-15.

According to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) conducted in six EU countries, Europeans prefer the idea of Ukraine joining the EU, despite potential costs and risks, while they are less enthusiastic about the possible expansion of the EU with Georgia and countries in the Western Balkans.

The survey revealed significant support for Ukraine's candidacy and, to a lesser extent, for Moldova and Montenegro. There is deep concern about economic and security issues. At the same time, there is widespread opposition to the potential accession of Turkey, and a notably cool reaction to the prospect of joining the union by Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

The survey showed that Denmark (50%) and Poland (47%) have the highest support for Ukraine's accession to the EU, while opinions are divided in Romania (32% for, 29% against), Germany (37% for, 39% against), and France (29% for, 35% against). In Austria, 52% expressed opposition