Sandu says Moldova's future within European family

25/6/2024 19:19

        Moldova's President Maia Sandu welcomed the start of formal talks to join the EU, stressing that her country's future is within the European family.
        
        Moldova applied for EU membership along with its neighbour Ukraine in 2022, days after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Sandu strongly condemned. In October, Moldova will hold a referendum on its pro-European drive.
        
        "We are stronger together," Sandu said on X.
        
        The EU is set for a symbolic opening of membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday.
        
        Moldova, which has a Romanian-speaking majority and large Russian-speaking minority, has seen power oscillate between pro-Western and pro-Russian parties since the Soviet Union broke up. Moscow has troops stationed in Transdniestria, a region which broke away from Chisinau's rule after a war in the early 1990s.