Moldova hopes to start EU accession negotiations as early as 2024.
This was stated by Cristina Gerasimova, the country’s deputy prime minister for European integration, the Report reported, citing Russian media.
“We welcome the European Council’s decision [EU leaders endorsed Ukraine and Moldova’s progress in reforms and instructed the EU Council to approve the “negotiating framework” as soon as possible], we expect the negotiating framework to be established as soon as possible in order to start their implementation, and we expect the first intergovernmental commission to be held in the very near future, which will officially launch the start of negotiations,” Gerasimova said at a briefing.
Gerasimova said that the Moldovan authorities hope that Moldova will be part of the EU by the end of this decade. The first intergovernmental conference will define a negotiating framework that will make it possible to start discussing the relationship between Moldovan legislation and European legislation, the deputy prime minister said.
“This process could take up to a year and a half, as the European Parliament elections will also be held this year,” Gerasimova added.