Cyprus ‘can give a big boost’ to Moldova’s EU accession process

Cyprus can “give a big boost” to Moldova’s process of acceding to the European Union, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday.

Speaking upon his arrival at the day’s European Council summit in Brussels, he said that he had discussed the matter of Moldova’s accession process with his fellow EU leaders.

“The president of Moldova, the people of Moldova, they did their part. It is our responsibility to succeed,” he said.

His comments come after Moldovan President Maia Sandu had visited Cyprus last week.

Then, he had promised her that during Cyprus’ six-month term as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, which begins next month, the country will “do everything to make substantial progress” in Moldova’s accession process to the EU.

“During the presidency and beyond, Cyprus will continue to be a strong supporter of your accession process,” he said.

Sandu, meanwhile, said that she believes that Cyprus’ six-month term as the Council of the EU’s president will be a “complete success”, and that Moldova “has high hopes” for the term.

Cyprus has in recent months shown a special interest in Moldova, with European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna having declared that the country “chose Europe” after the country’s pro-Europe Pas party handed the pro-Russian Bep party an electoral shellacking during parliamentary elections in September.

“Cyprus will work with ambition during its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union to deliver, together, on Moldova’s accession negotiations. Moldova is Europe and Europe is Moldova,” she said.

The election campaign in Moldova had been rife with allegations of Russian interference, with the country’s government claiming the Russian government had undertaken a campaign to sway the result.

The Russian government, meanwhile, accused the Moldovan government of disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Moldovans by only opening two polling stations in Russia.

Raouna had visited Moldova and met the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov in August, saying that Moldova has made “commendable progress in reforms and in defining the roadmap for tangible results” as it works towards accession to the EU.

As such, she said, when Cyprus holds the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, “we will work to achieve together, hand in hand”.

“Enlargement has a renewed momentum, and we must seize it in a tangible way. In this context, we discussed concrete steps to further advance Moldova’s accession negotiations,” she said.