3 yıl önce

Moldova, Georgia officially apply for EU membership

The countries signed formal applications to join the European Union as concerns intensified that Russian aggression could spread further than Ukraine.

AP

Pro-Russian and pro-EU politicians have vied for control in Chisinau since Moldova won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991

Moldova and Georgia have signed a formal application to join the European Union, charting a pro-Western course hastened by Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu, the prime minister and the parliamentary speaker all signed a document during a briefing in the capital Chisinau on Thursday.

"It took 30 years for Moldova to reach maturity, but today the country is ready to take responsibility for its own future," said Sandu, before holding up the signed document to the TV cameras.

"We want to live in peace, prosperity, be part of the free world. While some decisions take time, others must be made quickly and decisively, and taking advantage of the opportunities that come with a changing world," she said.

The application will be sent to Brussels in the coming days, she said.

Today🇬🇪 PM @GharibashviliGe signed the application for the Membership of the European Union 🇪🇺, thus opening a new, better chapter, well-deserved by our country, as we have been following the principles of democracy and freedom for centuries! Congratulations to🇬🇪 and our people!
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) March 3, 2022

Georgia submits application

Earlier, Georgia applied for EU membership after the European Parliament expressed backing for a similar move by war-torn Ukraine.

"Georgia is a European state and continues to make a valuable contribution to its protection and development," Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday after signing the application letter.

"History has deemed the European choice of the Georgian people as its strategic aim."

Negotiations to join the EU — which both Chisinau and Kiev have not even begun — typically take many years as the candidate country aligns its legislation with that of the 27-nation bloc.

EU leaders may discuss Ukraine's request at an informal summit next month, diplomats said.