Check against delivery! 

Very much welcome, dear Prime Minister, dear Dorin Recean, and your delegation here in Brussels, for the annual review of our relations with Moldova. 

We are meeting at the highest institutional level, together with Commissioner [for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver] Várhelyi and myself, you and your team, for the first time after the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova, which was certainly a very important step on your European path. 

Today, we have confirmed that the relations between Moldova and the European Union have never been closer. 

We have discussed many topics. Allow me to focus on three of them. 

Firstly, I want to commend the impressive determination of the Moldovan government to advance on the European path – and that, despite internal and external challenges. 

On the domestic front, key reforms are met with resistance from those who stand to lose from the fight against corruption and vested interests. 

Externally, Moldova is directly exposed to the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. You see Russian missiles and drones violating your airspace.  

This difficult context has not prevented you, has not prevented Moldova, from making remarkable efforts to get closer to the European Union. 

I want to use this opportunity to encourage you, my dear Prime Minister, to continue along this path. And, also, to ensure that the citizens all across Moldova, without exception, enjoy tangible benefits as a result of this process. 

If they see the benefits that they [can] have in their ordinary lives, they will support the process, [more strongly].  

You will organise a referendum on Moldova’s European path together with the presidential elections in October. 

This will be a great day, [having] both presidential elections and a referendum on the European path. This will be the greatest opportunity for the Moldovan citizens to express themselves on their EU aspirations. 

And at the same time, we expect that foreign interference, information manipulation and disinformation will only intensify in the run up to these votes. We know that, we suffer [from] that here in the European Union. Every time there is an electoral process, foreign interference, information manipulation and disinformation appear, and we have to fight against this threat to democracy. 

This brings me to the second point, that the European Union continues [to stand] in full solidarity with Moldova. 

We do that for many reasons. Because you belong to the European family, but also because we see Russia actively trying to destabilise your country. That is a fact. 

From outside, but also [by] using local proxies, to interfere and intimidate politically and economically. Russia has introduced a ban on import of your fruits and vegetables, to mention a very concrete thing. 

In order to face that, we have considerably stepped up our support for reforms and built up capacities to protect your country against destabilisation efforts. 

We continue to strengthen your energy security and expand sectoral cooperation. I will ask Commissioner Várhelyi to say more on this.  

I want to concentrate my last words on the third point which is how can we jointly address our shared security challenges and further increase Moldova’s resilience. 

For that, today, Moldova has become the first country to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the European Union. We have done that minutes ago. 

This is the first country, many others will follow, in order to create a network of friends that builds a strong Security and Defence Partnership. 

This will include an ever-closer cooperation in areas ranging from cybersecurity to countering hybrid threats and disinformation, training and capacity building and will open new areas of cooperation. 

On the other hand, do not forget what we have already done. We launched a year ago - I was there -, [it was a] great pleasure to launch the civilian European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova. 

I remember it was a memorable day. It was a step further for us to become a reliable partner. [It] will further enhance Moldova’s capacity to fight hybrid and cyber threats. 

This also comes with financial support. We have been providing [almost] €140 million for the modernisation of Moldova’s armed forces through the European Peace Facility. It has already been done, more will come. 

More will come because Moldova can count on the European Union to continue our comprehensive support for your security, stability and resilience, to strengthen your democracy, to impulse – to push for - your reform process on European course.  

I think that the future of the Moldovan people - Moldova and its citizens – is in the European Union, and this is a battle that has to be won together. 

Thank you, Prime Minister. 

Q&A 

Q. How do you think Russia will react after the official opening of the accession negotiations and how will you help us? 

I have to repeat everything I said. I have to repeat everything I said during the meeting. We are providing support. Allow me to stress the importance of that support through the European Peace Facility - what we have done, what we will continue doing. The Commissioner has given a complete explanation of all the capacities we are providing to Moldova. Certainly, Russia is not very happy with the fact that Moldova is willing to be part of the European Union, but it is not a matter of Russia. It is a matter of Moldova. It is the Moldovan people and the Moldovan authorities who matter for us. 

Q. High Representative, I would like to know what is your reaction to the decision [announced] just an hour ago by Spain to withdraw the Ambassador from Buenos Aires. Do you think this is a proportionate measure? Do you think this will help to resolve the tensions? Do you think that maybe these tensions could affect the overall relations between Argentina and the European Union, in cases like MERCOSUR? 

What do I do? We are talking about Moldova. Argentina is very far away from Moldova. Nothing that happens in Argentina affects our relationship with Moldova, no? So, I can tell you afterwards whatever you want, but I think it would be very unpolite from my side to use this opportunity, instead of talking about Moldova and the EU-Moldova relationship, to go and discuss something which has nothing to do with that. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-257189