Moldovan diplomacy welcomes Resolution adopted by European Parliament

Chisinau, 9 October /MOLDPRES/ - The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) welcomes the Resolution, Consolidation of Moldova’s resilience against Russia’s interference ahead of the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum on EU integration, adopted by the European Parliament today.   

The Moldovan diplomacy stresses that ‘’the resolution shows the European Union’s firm commitment to support Moldova on its European way.’’  

„The document condemns Russia’s attempts to destabilize Moldova, through propaganda and hybrid tactics, as our country prepares for the upcoming referendum on the accession to EU. MAE welcomes the strong and firm political support which has come on behalf of most political parties of the European Parliament in this crucial moment for our country and reconfirms the firm commitment of the Moldovan authorities to cope with the threats to the democratic process and carry through the reforms needed for the accession to the European Union,’’ reads the document issued by the institution.    

Thus, through the resolution adopted, the European lawmakers expressed solidarity with the people of Moldova and reiterated the firm support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova within the internationally recognized borders.

The MEPs firmly condemn the boosting of the malevolent activities, of the interferences and hybrid operations of Russia, of the pro-Russian oligarchs and the local actors backed by Russia, which aim at undermining the electoral processes, the security and the democratic fundaments of Moldova, at promoting the division inside the Moldovan society and at turning the country away from its pro-European trajectory ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections and the constitutional referendum on EU integration.     

In the resolution, the European Parliament reminds to the Russian authorities to observe the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, to cease the challenges and attempts to destabilize the country and to undermine its constitutional order and its democratic institutions; it reiterates the call addressed to Russia to withdraw its military forces and equipment from Moldova’s territory, to ensure the full destruction of all ammunitions and equipment from the Cobasna-based depot under international control and back the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, in line with the principles of the international law and the Declaration of the 1999 Istanbul Summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.    

The European Parliament invites the EU member states to make sure that Moldova benefits from every assistance necessary, in order to consolidate its institutional mechanisms and the capacity of reaction to the hybrid threats; asks EU to provide wider support to Moldova for combating the misinformation, the hybrid threats and the cyber attacks; emphasizing that this fact should imply the enhancement of Moldova’s capacity to combat the misinformation, to consolidate its infrastructure of cyber security and enhance the resilience to the malevolent external influences; underlines that it is particularly important that the false discourses of Russia should be combated, stressing , at the same time, their malevolent interference in Moldova and the way they are used, in order to justify Russia’s aggression war against Ukraine;  

The European Parliament invites the Council to adopt additional specific sanctions against the people and entities in charge of the backing or carrying out of actions which undermine or threat the sovereignty and independence of Moldova, as well as democracy, stability or security of the country and the rule of law state; asks EU and the national authorities to make sure that these sanctions are enforced properly; reiterates its call addressed to the states and concerned host territories to extradite Ilan Shor, Vladimir Plahotniuc and other wanted people, in order to be tried in Moldova. Highlights the important role played by EU Partnership Mission for Moldova (EUPM Moldova); asks EU and its member states to make sure that EUPM Moldova works optimally, summing up the progress made and adapting its operations, if necessary, in order to do this as efficiently as possible, proposing, at the same time, the further extension of the mandate beyond May 2025, adaption of its area of enforcement and increasing the Mission’s resources.    

The MEPs ask the EU and its member states to provide more support to the Centre for strategic communication and combating of misinformation; invites the Commission to report on the results of the support package provided by EU to Moldova in June 2023, especially on the goal declared of combating the manipulation of information and of external interferences and of consolidation of the independent mass media, of the civil society and youth organizations; welcomes the firm support provided by Moldova to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s aggression war; congratulates Moldova on the reception of 1.5 million of Ukrainian refugees during the war, of whom about 125,000 are still in Moldova; invites EU and the member states to provide continuous support to Moldova and its people against the problems the country faces in the wake of Russia’s aggression war against Ukraine, including of a large number of refugees, of the inflation, of the threats against its supply with energy and the infringements of its air space; reaffirms its support for the future accession of Moldova to EU. Considers that Moldova’s accession to EU would represent an investment which brings benefits to both sides in a united and strong Europe;     

The European Parliament underlines that Moldova’s European integration represents not only a way to a better economic prosperity, but also a guarantee of the political stability and security against the external threats. The European MPs ask for the speeding up of the process of analytical examination and the organization in due time of the subsequent intergovernmental conferences, during which negotiations on the cluster 1 on the fundamental elements should be initiated; asks EU to properly support the reforms dealing with the accession through the development of solid financial instruments; urges to accelerate Moldova’s gradual integration into EU and on the single market, through the participation in new initiatives and programmes of EU, which will bring concrete social and economic benefits in specific sectors just before the country officially joins EU; repeatedly asks, in this respect, the European Union to take quick and significant actions for the permanent liberalization of its tariff contingents.      

The MEPs ask to provide more constant support to Moldova in its process of accession to EU, including an increased technical assistance through sending of additional advisers on behalf of EU to Moldovan authorities, in order to help consolidate the capacities. Ask to adopt a new plan on growth for Moldova, so as to properly finance and support Moldova for the accomplishment of the economic convergence with EU; consider that this plan should finance the investments in infrastructure, in the human capital and in the digital transition and green transition, facilitating the sustainable economic growth; ask for Moldova’s full integration in the initiative ‘’roaming at prices on national market’’ till late 2025.  

The European lawmakers ask the European Commission to include Moldova in the  Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and to give priority to financing the candidate countries in its proposal for the next multiannual financial framework (2028-2034), thus ensuring their accession to EU. Welcome the significant progress recorded by Moldova in the carrying out of the reforms concerning the accession to EU and encourage the Moldovan authorities to continue the ambitious reforms as to the democracy and rule of law state; invite EU and its member states to give priority to the efforts of backing the rule of law state and the anticorruption reforms in Moldova and to allocate additional resources to approach the vulnerabilities, including the ones dealing with the corruption in the security sector, justice system, public administration and mass media, which would allow Russia’s interferences and its misinformation campaign; encourage the Moldovan government to cooperate, in continuation, with all actors, to carry out a sustainable and comprehensive reform in the justice sector and combating corruption, in accordance with the recommendations of EU and the Venice Commission.     

The European Parliament stresses that it is important that the country’s reform process advances, in order to improve the living standards, especially for the vulnerable groups and to provide the younger generations with attractive perspectives of living and work in the country; considers that, in this way, the society will become more resilient to the hybrid attacks and that the number of citizens who look for better living conditions in other regions of Europe will decrease; stresses the need of a better representation of the social acquis in the evaluations and recommendations of the Commission. Reiterates its support for a closer cooperation between EU and Moldova in the field of the security and defence policy; congratulates Moldova on becoming the first country to sign a partnership in terms of security and defence with EU and asks for the implementation of this partnership; asks EU to gradually include Moldova in the future legislative initiatives and programmes on the European security and defence; supports the continuation of the works within the high-level political and security dialogue between EU and Moldova, in order to consolidate the cooperation in the sector of foreign and security policy. It also invites the member states to increase the financing of the European Peace Facility for Moldova, in order to enhance the country’s defence capabilities. Repeatedly invites EU to further back the efforts made by the Moldovan authorities to maintain the macroeconomic stability and improve the country’s energy security through the support of building new power networks with the neighbour countries; to financially back the projects on energy efficiency and the energy from renewable resources, which represent a clean and sustainable way to reduce the energy demand of Moldova and diversify the supply, guaranteeing, at the same time, an energy at accessible prices, especially for the vulnerable groups.     

The European Parliament urges EU to consolidate, in continuation, its cooperation with Moldova through specific measures, in order to enhance the resilience to the hybrid threats, including through the improvement of the strategic communication about EU, by backing journalists and the civil society in combating the misinformation, through the promotion of an independent media content in the Russian language and through the improvement of citizens’ education as regards the informing; asks for additional technical resources and knowledge for supporting the strategic communication, internal coordination and strengthening the capacities of Moldova’s government against the hybrid attacks and the misinformation; welcomes the efforts made by the Moldovan civil society to back the fight of the Moldovan government against the misinformation and promote the democratic values; invites the Commission and the member states to support, in continuation, the education in the fields of mass media and its independence, as well as the consolidation of the critical digital infrastructure in Moldova, including through the replacement of the system of information and communication technology of Russian origin; invites EU and its member states to boost their direct cooperation with the Moldovan citizens through their inclusion in different programmes and projects of EU and bilateral ones, such as the consultations with citizens, and to promote the interpersonal relations.     

The European MPs invite the Commission to help the government of Moldova to exert pressures on the social communication platforms, so that the latter efficiently treat the misinformation. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the Russian authorities.