Interview with former Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu, exclusively for MOLDPRES State News Agency

* There is a paradox that Putin regime's aggression against Ukraine may speed up Moldova's and Ukraine's rapprochement with the EU.

* In any case, the Republic of Moldova has to do its homework and implement reforms.

* Transnistria, strongly influenced by Russia and Gagauzia, with developments that highlight people with Russian sympathies and support from Russia represent a vulnerability for Moldova.

* The most acute problem is disinformation.

* Moldova's accession to the European Union by 2030 is an achievable goal, but no one knows what tomorrow will look like.

* Citizens are asked to be calm, to realize that they are going through a period of transition, politicians must show responsibility in everything they do and avoid mistakes.

MOLDPRES: Mr. Cioroianu, you were foreign minister at a time when Romania had just joined the European Union, after having negotiated, like the Republic of Moldova, its accession. What was it like at that time and is there any similarity between what it was like until 2007 in Romania and what it is like today in the Republic of Moldova?

Adrian Cioroianu: The accession process is certainly similar for many countries that have gone through it or will go through it, except that this similarity is only at a technical level that all candidate countries have to go along relatively the same path, they have to achieve the same goals.

There is a big difference. The difference lies in the timing of each accession, and I would say that from this point of view, the accession of the first wave to the EU, the 2004 wave, was the smoothest of all, followed by the wave which included Romania and Bulgaria in 2007, which was a delay, we have to admit. In the specific case of the Republic of Moldova, there is this reality that the existence of this war in Ukraine, caused by Russia, casts a shadow of uncertainty over our entire area.

On the other hand, as cynical as it may sound, there is also a somewhat paradoxical aspect that it is precisely this war and the aggression of Putin regime against Ukraine that may speed up the rapprochement of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine with the EU, except that the first impact will be rather rhetorical. Many statements will now be made, Brussels will say that it is encouraging the Republic of Moldova and encouraging Ukraine. The same pro-European messages will be given from Chisinau and Kiev, but this does not mean that the technical chapters which I was talking about at the beginning will be overlooked.

In Romania's case, it has always been like this, a red flag raised from Brussels, without those reforms, integration will not happen, with or without war.

We should accept the idea that it is a process somewhat hastened by this war in Ukraine, but at the same time there are still reforms that the Republic of Moldova will have to carry out, as Bulgaria and Romania did at that time, before 2007, with the necessary delays, with the necessary homework, with the necessary dissatisfaction, this is inevitable. In a democracy, everything is debated, everything is discussed, sometimes contradictorily. So now these are the points of similarity, but also the differences.

MOLDPRES: You spoke about the war waged by Russia in Ukraine, a factor and a circumstance that would speed up the process of Moldova and Ukraine's accession to the EU. What challenges can Chisinau expect from Russia on its path to EU membership?

Adrian Cioroianu: One of the major problems, in my opinion, regarding the Republic of Moldova is this absolutely surrealist status, represented by the status of Transnistria. I mean, when I look at the map of the Republic of Moldova, sometimes I have the impression that it is a Salvador Dali's painting, because in the composition of the Republic of Moldova, in the maps that everybody at international level accepts, this part beyond the Dniester appears in the composition of the Republic of Moldova. In real terms, Chisinau government does not control the so-called Transnistrian area. So, I think this remains a big problem for the Republic of Moldova, this Transnistrian area, and it is the kind of problem that Russia, of course, is the main instigator of what is happening in Transnistria.

I am confident that a good number of Transnistrian people will be interested in Moldova's rapprochement with the EU, because from an economic point of view, there will be gains for that area as well.

However, it is an area where Russian influence is very strong. I see that the same is true for Gagauzia with its political status - autonomy, in European terms I would say it is a very modern concept of autonomy - however, I also see a series of developments there, which highlight people with clear Russian sympathies and support from Russia. So this is a vulnerability of the Republic of Moldova, which stems from its demographic structure.

MOLDPRES: Do you think that the situation in Transnistria and Gagauzia could also be a consequence of misinformation and Russian propaganda?

Adrian Cioroianu: There is no doubt that Russian propaganda plays a strong role, there are people who may not even realize this propaganda. Someone who looks to Moscow could tell us that the European Union also has its own propaganda and maybe this is the way things are, when you see how people live in Western Europe and for a citizen of the Republic of Moldova and for a Romanian or a Pole until 15 years ago, when it was enough to go to the West and we felt influenced by the realities there, reality is the best propaganda.

I would distinguish between propaganda and manipulation. All states have propaganda, even democratic states have their own form of propaganda through movies, through cultural institutions, through all kinds of materials - literature, science or culture, politics, diplomacy.

What about disinformation? I believe that the most acute problem is disinformation at the moment and I would say that, unfortunately, this is the chapter that Russia is using the most. It is possible that some people in the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine, as is also the case in Romania, do not know the West at all.

MOLDPRES: Chisinau authorities have proposed to join the European Union by 2030. Do you consider this goal achievable within the deadline? What role do Moldovan citizens have to play in achieving this goal?

Adrian Cioroianu: The goal is achievable. There are a number of conditions. I repeat, paradoxical as it may be, but this war in Ukraine, in my opinion, has hastened the accession process of both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. But that does not mean that if this conflict goes on indefinitely, the hastening will continue. I think 2030 is a reasonable deadline.

We all hope that this conflict will not be with us for another six years. I still live in the hope that a truce will be reached in a few months' time. Peace is a longer-term goal, but at least a truce so that no more people die and there is no more destruction on either side. Finally, 2030 seems achievable to me, but no one knows what tomorrow will look like.

In the countries that have joined the EU, including Romania, we have gone through this transition, as difficult and chaotic as it has been, and I believe that it is also the duty of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to realize that they are going through a transition, which is often unfair for some, chaotic in many ways: pensions are low, salaries are low, money may not be earned by the right people or by those who are the most honest or the most educated.

Democracy, on the other hand, needs a period of maturation, after which, obviously, justice comes in one place or another and judges where mistakes have been made or very big illegal acts have been committed, justice always comes in the rear, justice cannot work in advance.

MOLDPRES: 20 On October, a constitutional referendum on Moldova's accession to the European Union will be organized in Chisinau. Do you see this as an opportunity for Moldovan citizens to make a choice?

Adrian Cioroianu: Definitely, it is an opportunity to check the will of the people. Regardless of the political project of the ruling parties, what matters is what the people want, and from my point of view, this is a very important moment for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and I think it is the duty of governments, whatever government, whatever leadership, must explain very well to the people what this accession means, what the pre-accession period means, so that people can make an informed judgment and this project can only be one that is supported by the people.

MOLDPRES: Do you have a message for the political class in the Republic of Moldova?

Adrian Cioroianu: My message as a citizen and as a man who has been involved in politics in Romania is one of responsibility. Any politician must be aware that as we gain new powers in politics and as we have this political power, this power also increases our responsibility.

I mean accountability to the people that we lead, and politics is fairer, it's cleaner and that's our goal, we all make mistakes at one point or another, but it matters in the long run.

MOLDPRES: How do you see the Republic of Moldova in the new European architecture in the context of the launch of EU accession negotiations, which took place on June 25 in Luxembourg?

Adrian Cioroianu: Here I think that neither the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, nor the citizens of Romania, we do not realize the value that our countries have.

To us, to the Republic of Moldova, to Poland or Romania, there are already people, there are companies that are calculating what 2-3 million consumers in Romania or the Republic of Moldova mean, what is the price of labor, so I am convinced that in the democratic world there will always be different perspectives and there will be people who will judge purely idealistic, others who judge very pragmatically. I think that this is what we should do too, to be a little more pragmatic and to realize the value we represent both as people and as a country.

MOLDPRES: Mr. Cioroianu, thank you for your willingness to answer questions and we remain open for communication.

Romania became a member of the European Union on January 1, 2007. This status entails both rights and obligations deriving from the treaties and legislation adopted by the European Union.