Statement by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, at the end of the European Political Community summit

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Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us today for our press conference at the end of this European Political Community Summit.

It was a pleasure to host the summit of leaders from across Europe here in Moldova, in the village of Bulboaca.

This was the first EPC gathering to be held in a non-EU country and we are so very proud to have been able to welcome everyone here.

And we are incredibly grateful for all the support we received. The entire Community came together to support the effort: Romania, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and of course the European Council as well as Moldova's other development partners.

Today, here, only 20 kilometres from Ukraine, we brought the continent together to reaffirm our collective and strong determination to bring peace back to Europe.

Today, we have shown our strength and unity at a time when the stability of our continent is under threat.

We have shown that we are united against the biggest military aggression since World War 2 - and against breaches of international law.

We told President Zelenskyy that we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.

As President of Moldova, I know that if it wasn't for Ukraine's resistance and courage, my own country would be threatened.

Today we spoke about security. We spoke about the need to protect the European continent from wars, aggression, and hybrid threats.

We all agreed that we will continue our efforts to integrate further our continent through greater strategic coordination, better connectivity and more common action on energy resilience and climate. We agreed to step up our joint efforts to strengthen cyber and physical security of European critical infrastructure, including electricity grids.

Our common actions will bind our European family more closely together.

Our common actions will make Europe stronger. They will make us safer.

We all acknowledged that the European Political Community, building on the success of the first gathering in Prague, is a unique opportunity for engagement and improving bilateral relations. The EPC allows us to determine the best ways to accelerate those projects and ideas that will bring benefits to all our citizens.

These bilateral engagements also enable us to move forward on attempting to settle conflicts which still cast a shadow over our continent.

These meetings are an opportunity for all of us to improve communication which is the foundation for a more peaceful Europe.

I would like to thank all the leaders for standing by Moldova. Your presence here is a powerful proof that Moldova is not alone.

I express my gratitude on behalf of all our citizens.

Your attendance makes us proud to have hosted this summit. Your presence makes us more confident than ever in our future as a peaceful, democratic and free country. A country that is on an irreversible path to joining the European Union.

While our summit focussed mainly on matters of pan-European importance, it also allowed us in Moldova to accelerate concrete projects which are deepening our integration with the rest of Europe.

For Moldova, there were several tangible outcomes.

Yesterday, along with the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, I announced that mobile phone roaming tariffs within the EU will be gradually scrapped for Moldovans from the 1st of January next year. This significant development is a result of our relentless efforts, and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to President Macron, who has been a champion of this cause and helped build support across the EU to translate it into reality. I thank my counterparts and friends from across the EU who have supported this priority project for Moldova.

In the past week, our European partners have taken decisive action to help us fend off hybrid threats.

Recently announced EU sanctions, proposed by Romania, will help stop the oligarchs and the criminals who try to destabilize Moldova.

The newly launched EU-Moldova Partnership Mission will help us safeguard stability.

Norwegian grant financing announced on the margins of today's summit will strengthen our energy resilience and economic stability.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

Today's summit showed just how valuable the European Political Community is. We have shown that we are a family. A strong and united family of European nations acting together to make the continent stronger. More united. More peaceful.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for your presence and support. Please rest assured that you can always count on Moldova as an active member of our European family - a family that works together to make our continent more secure, more stable, and more integrated.

And with this I pass the baton to Prime Minister Sanchez, whose country will host the next summit of European Political Community. We look forward to working with you to ensure the continuity of the format and of the discussions.

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