Moldova is no longer seen as a country that allows itself to be mocked by the Kremlin, President Maia Sandu said at a press conference after the European Political Community (EPC) summit. She mentioned the launch of the EU Partnership Mission in Chisinau, the sanctioning of several political figures by the EU and Norway, as well as the donation of modern equipment for the defence system, as gestures of support shown by the European community for Moldova.

President Maia Sandu’s message following the European Political Community summit:

“On 1 June, dear Moldovans, we wrote history together. The whole of Europe came to our home to confirm that Moldova is important and has a place among the important, strong, free countries of the world. To help us fulfil the aspirations of our citizens to live in peace and prosperity, to bring the European Union here at home.

The event of 1 June does not come from luck, it comes from the firmness with which we have defended our democracy and freedom and from our belief that Moldova will succeed. We have had faith in Moldova and in these days all of Europe has shown that it has faith in Moldova.

The European Political Community Summit, attended by 49 presidents, prime ministers and senior European officials, put Moldova at the heart of Europe and showed the whole world that we Moldovans can do anything we set our minds to. And that we are proud of our country.

Thank you very much for the honour with which you have represented Moldova – wherever you are. I am grateful to all of you – diplomats, security officers, road workers, labourers, traffic wardens, policemen, carabinieri, train attendants, drivers, doctors, cooks, journalists, photographers, translators, florists, soldiers, accountants, waiters, cleaners, technicians, drivers, artists, videographers, directors, communicators, civil servants, Bulgarians, Chisinau citizens, Moldovans from all over the world – all of you who have made a European Moldova these days!

We have shown the world and ourselves that we have well-trained, hard-working people who know how to do things properly. A family we are proud of – Moldova as a whole!

The European Political Community was created at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022, following Russia’s start of the war against Ukraine. The Community is a platform for dialogue for all countries on our continent. On this platform, once every half a year, the leaders of EU and non-EU countries come together and discuss major common problems, ways to deal with the consequences of the war that has affected us all, avoid further conflicts on the continent and restore peace.

Our future is fraught with uncertainty – we cannot control all events, and Moldova’s destiny depends on the choices we make every day. However, the event that brought all of Europe to Moldova has shown us some certainties about our country:

1. Moldova is a respected partner of all European countries. Moldovans are treated with esteem and as equals for what we are – a dignified, humane and free people. Moldova is written about with appreciation in the international press, we are no longer the country that is only written about when something bad happens.

Hosting the summit is a clear signal that Moldova is important for the European Union and for other countries on our continent and that our voice matters.

In a relatively short period of time, all of us together have managed to considerably improve our country’s image in the world. Moldova is no longer seen, as it was a few years ago, as an obscure place where criminal groups share the state’s wealth. Moldova is no longer seen as a country that allows itself to be mocked by the Kremlin.

Moldova is a country appreciated for the generosity of its people, for their courage and their ability to face difficult situations and move forward with their heads held high. Moldova is seen as a future member of the European Union.

This renewed image of our country will help us to bring in more investment, develop trade relations with other countries, increase exports and increase the number of jobs and incomes of our people.

2. Moldova is safe with our country’s friends. Moldova is not alone in the face of the difficulties and dangers it faces. We have received strong diplomatic messages of support – European leaders are saying loud and clear that Moldova is not alone, that our future is in the European Union.

In the days of the summit, the launch of the EU Partnership Mission in Chisinau was announced. This mission will help our institutions strengthen their crisis management capabilities and will contribute to increasing the country’s resilience to hybrid threats, including cyber security and countering foreign disinformation.

The European Union will also sanction those who seek to destabilise Moldova and endanger the stability and security of our country. People on the sanctions list will be restricted in their movement and their assets and money in EU countries will be blocked. Norway has joined the EU sanctions. And on 1 June sanctions were announced by the Canadian authorities. All these countries are helping us stop those who want to destabilise the country and block our future.

The European Union is helping us to increase our defence capability and modernise our military. Through the European Instrument for Peace, worth a total of €87 million, Moldova has just received its first donation of modern defence equipment.

In addition, Poland has announced a donation of 6 aircraft with protective equipment such as helmets, vests, and state-of-the-art technology to help the Ministry of Internal Affairs ensure public order and security. Hungary has also joined other donors to the NATO Trust Fund for Moldova with a contribution of $300,000, which will be used to strengthen our country’s defence capacity. We are grateful to all countries that contribute to peace and tranquillity in our country.

During these days, our skies have been protected from any danger by our partners’ air forces – that is what it means to have friends, partners, who you can rely on and who will not leave us in need. This is how we see our future – one in which all the children of Moldova are safe, living their childhood under a protected sky and no one is afraid.

3. Moldova is increasingly connected. One tangible benefit of our closer ties with the EU is that Moldovans will be able to be closer to their loved ones and talk on the phone cheaper and more often. Roaming charges in the EU will be significantly reduced from 1 January 2024. Also, at the summit I agreed with the President of Ukraine, Mr Zelenskiy, that the bilateral agreement on the construction of the Cosăuți-Yampil bridge will be signed as soon as possible.

4. Moldova is receiving concrete support to tackle the energy crisis. On 1 June, the Prime Minister of Norway announced that he is offering us a donation of around EUR 50 million so that we can buy natural gas. Moldova has already started to buy cheaper gas and we should see a reduction in the tariff for gas consumers very soon.

5. Moldova is getting up and going on the path of development. The European Union and European partners have reaffirmed their commitment to continue to support us so that we can improve people’s lives – to get the resources and help to increase wealth at home.

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen has announced that the Economic Development and Investment Plan for Moldova, launched in June 2021, will be increased from €600 million to €1.6 billion, allowing our country to participate in several programmes for private sector and investment projects. I would remind you that this programme is implemented through international financial institutions such as the EBRD and the EIB and involves a wide range of instruments – loans, guarantees, risk coverage and grants. These resources represent opportunities for our companies and will contribute to the development of the economy

I thank President Macron of France for proposing to hold the European Political Community Summit in the Republic of Moldova and President Michel of the European Council for supporting this proposal. I thank President Iohannis for his enormous help in organizing the summit. I thank the states that ensured the country’s air security. I thank the Czech Republic for its support to make the second Summit a success.

The event organised by Moldova on 1 June demonstrated that Moldova’s accession to the European Union is getting closer and brings concrete benefits to the people. Only in the European family can we be sure of stability and peace in our country. Our voice matters when important decisions are taken, and the path we have chosen – the European path – has the support of the countries of the European Union.

This is the direction that the almost 100 thousand citizens who participated in the European Moldova Assembly asked for in one voice, and the Moldovans, at home and abroad, ask for every day, through the choices they make and the values they follow. This is the direction we requested at the Bulboaca Summit from all European leaders. This is the direction we will work for in the coming years.

We must work together, consistently, to succeed in opening accession negotiations with the EU as soon as possible. Let us make all the necessary efforts, each where they are, institutions and citizens, to modernise the infrastructure, to improve the quality of health and education services, to improve the quality of the environment in which we live and to raise the standard of living of all.

We have a clear path ahead of us, we know where we are going – we want to build a European Moldova at home. To succeed, we need unity, wise choices and hard work. We are on the right track and I am convinced that we will succeed – for our parents and for our children.

We have every reason to have confidence in our country, in our people, in our ability to build the European Union at home”, the President said.

The day after the European Political Community (EPC) Summit, President Maia Sandu sent a message thanking the citizens who were involved in organising the event. The head of state noted that “on 1 June, Moldova was the centre of Europe”.

Moldova hosted the European Political Community (EPC) Summit, which brought together 48 European presidents, prime ministers and senior officials. At the end of the second EPC Summit, President Maia Sandu said the summit participants were united against “the greatest military aggression since the Second World War”.

According to the head of state, the leaders present Thursday in Bulboaca agreed to continue their efforts to integrate our continent “through greater strategic cooperation, better connectivity and more action on energy, resilience and climate.”