Victor Chirilă, the Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in Bucharest, recently acknowledged that Moldova had limited chances of becoming a candidate country for European Union membership without active involvement from Romania. He highlighted Romania’s crucial support over the 32 years of Moldova’s independence, including being the first country to recognize Moldova’s independence and opening a diplomatic mission in Chișinău.
Chirilă mentioned that the relationship between the two countries was influenced by political changes and noted that, finally, both nations have political leadership capable of developing diplomatic ties based on shared language, history, traditions, and ethnicity. He emphasized the importance of this shared foundation for a strong partnership, especially in the context of European integration.
Chirilă refrained from ranking past Romanian presidents in terms of their support for Moldova, stating that each contributed according to the circumstances.
He praised the current Romanian officials, including President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, and Senate President Nicolae Ciucă, for their outstanding cooperation in supporting Moldova. He also highlighted their instrumental role in addressing various challenges, such as the energy crisis, refugee issues, and social challenges in Moldova.
Chirilă concluded that without the involvement of these officials, along with former and current Romanian Foreign Ministers Aurescu and Odobescu, Moldova might not have achieved its candidate country status for EU membership.