Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived at Cyprus’ presidential palace in Nicosia for a visit described by President Nikos Christodoulides as “historic” on Friday.
“Your visit takes place at a very important moment for Cyprus, for the European Union, 19 days before the assumption of the presidency of the Council of the EU, and I want to state that Cyprus fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova,” he said.
He added that during Cyprus’ six-month term as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, 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,” Raouna said.
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.
She then added that EU enlargement is “an integral, necessary component of the vision for a stronger, more prosperous and resilient union, which offers even more for its citizens, for Europe, and to the world as a stable and reliable partner”.
Cyprus, she added, “has been and remains a strong supporter of enlargement and is committed during its presidency to act as an honest broker and a constructive partner”.
To this end, a draft programme for Cyprus’ six-month term as the Council of the EU’s president seen by the Cyprus Mail in October said that Cyprus will focus on enlargement during its term.
“Enlargement is a geopolitical investment and a necessity in preserving peace, security and stability of our continent and beyond. It is also a driver for improving the economic and social conditions of our union and its citizens, through the expansion and strengthening of the internal market,” the programme states.
It adds that “an enlarged union will be stronger and more prosperous, fostering the values and principles upon which it is founded, including democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights”.
