POLITICSREPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Zelenskyy arrives in Moldova for European leaders summit
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Moldova, which borders Ukraine, is hosting the second European Political Community summit, as it seeks to solidify its EU bid. The 27 EU members and their European allies are gathering in a show of unity.
https://p.dw.com/p/4S2xc
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shakes hands with Moldova’s President Maia Sandu at a welcome ceremony at Mimi Castle in Bulboaca, Moldova June 1, 2023.
Zelenskyy expressed support for Moldova, acknowleding its support with taking in Ukrainain refugeesImage: Vladislav Culiomza/REUTERS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on Thursday at Mimi Castle in southern Moldova, to attend the second European Political Community summit.
Speaking to reporters while standing alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Zelenskyy said his country was ready to join the NATO military alliance as well as the EU bloc.
“Our future is in the EU. Ukraine is ready to join NATO,” he said.
Zelenskyy’s push to join the alliance coincides with an informal NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Oslo also on Thursday, to discuss the agenda of the next summit.
The NATO summit is due to be held in Vilnius on July 11, with Zelenskyy pushing for a formal promise to Kyiv to join the alliance after the war.
What does the summit mean for Moldova?
Aside from the topic of Ukraine, the summit is also held as a show of support for Moldova, among the continent’s poorest countries. Mimi Castle also lies merely an hour away from Transnistria, a Russian-backed separatist enclave.
“The second meeting of the European Political Community is proof of the growing unity on the continent,” Moldovan President Sandu told a joint press conference with von der Leyen.
She described the summit as a “strong confirmation of our unwavering commitment to peace, a firm condemnation of the Russian invasion, constant solidarity with Ukraine and a demonstration of support for Moldova.”
Like Ukraine, Moldova applied to join the EU last year shortly after Russia invaded its neighbor, prompting an influx of Ukrainian refugees into the country.
The pro-Western government plans to use the EPC summit to showcase the reforms it has secured as it prepares to join the bloc, as well as accelerate succession talks.
“We support Moldova and its people who are integrating into the EU. You supported our people, our refugees who fled in the first days of the war, and we will never forget it,” Zelenskyy said on Thursday, standing beside Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
EU aspirant Moldova prepares to host major summit
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rmt/kb (AFP, Reuters)
