Nicu Popescu in Brussels: Moldova will further strengthen cooperation with the EU
The Republic of Moldova will continue to strengthen cooperation with the European Union in the field of internal affairs, defense and security, with increased emphasis on training and financial support. The EU supports Moldova in the context of the difficult energy situation, high gas and electricity prices, the most vulnerable citizens, but also for the process of increasing energy efficiency. Findings in this sense were made by the Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the meetings in Brussels, reports IPN.
Nicu Popescu spoke with the vice-president of the European Commission and the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, about the dramatic impact of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the consequences for the Republic of Moldova, especially the vulnerabilities in the energy sector, but also about the reform agenda in the Republic of Moldova’s path to modernization . European.
During the discussion with the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Stefano Sannino, the topic of strengthening the resilience of the Republic of Moldova in terms of cyber security, combating disinformation and strengthening cooperation within the European Peace Instrument was discussed. “We agreed to deepen, in the margins of the high-level political and security dialogue, Moldovan-Community cooperation in the sphere of foreign policy, security and defense in order to increase the resilience of our institutions. I also carried out an exchange of views with Mr. Secretary General regarding the organization of the Summit of the European Political Community, which our country will host next spring”,
said Nicu Popescu, quoted in a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
The head of Moldovan diplomacy referred to the aid granted by the EU in the current energy crisis caused by the Russian Federation’s war in Ukraine, as well as the actions that Moldova is taking to rationalize the consumption of energy resources. The Deputy Prime Minister had an exchange of views with Maciej Popowski, interim general director of the General Directorate for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, regarding the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the assistance needs for the years 2022 – 2023, including in the energy sector.
“I appreciated the support of the Investment Bank, which finances projects that bring concrete changes to people’s lives: drinking water, transport, agriculture, development for small and medium-sized enterprises, energy efficiency. We referred to the continued collaboration with the EIB on important projects in the energy sector, which would reduce the resistance to fossil fuels and lower energy bills. We appreciated the availability of European officials to actively participate in the work of the donors’ conference “Support Platform of the Republic of Moldova”, which will be held in Paris in November”, stated the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
On October 13, the minister met at Luxembourg with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn, with whom he discussed the bilateral cooperation agenda, European integration and the reform process of the Republic of Moldova and the regional situation in the context of the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine.