BALTIC COUNTRIES SUPPORT CARRYING THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION - REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, IN THIS SEMESTER

The Baltic countries support the holding of the first intergovernmental conference between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova in this semester, before the end of Belgium's presidency in the EU Council. As reported by INFOTAG, this was announced by the press service of the Bureau for European Integration.

According to the statement, during the forum “Europe's Borders: Expansion in the Era of Wars and Alliances”, held on April 10-12 in Tallinn, the three Baltic countries supported the initiative to hold a conference before July 1, which will mark the beginning of negotiations on Moldova's accession to the EU. Representatives of the Bureau of European Integration of Moldova, as well as representatives of Ukraine, Armenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland, participated in the conference in Estonia. The meeting discussed issues of “strengthening strategic partnerships with EU member states, key challenges on the European path, as well as the experience of the Baltic countries in EU accession”.

“At the forum, officials from the Baltic countries expressed strong support for Moldova's European aspirations and welcomed significant progress in reforms. They also stated that they would support the initiative to organize the first intergovernmental conference between the EU and Moldova during Belgium's presidency,” the statement said.

Belgium holds the presidency of the EU Council from January 1 to June 30, 2024. It took over the presidency from Spain, and from July 1, it will pass it on to Hungary. Belgium's presidency program, presented at the beginning of the year by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, envisages discussions on EU reform, stimulation of innovation and economic competitiveness, protection of the EU's external borders, and promotion of peace. De Croo emphasized that Belgium's presidency would prioritize internal reforms necessary to maintain a functioning EU, taking into account the possible future enlargement of the EU to the East and the Western Balkans to the southeast.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Hungary's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2024 would be “more peace-oriented,” and its goal would be to “occupy Brussels.” Official Budapest supports Moldova's European integration but was categorically against starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.