While membership conditions are identical, the security situation is vastly different
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova has stated that drawing parallels between the progress of Ukraine and Moldova in European integration is inappropriate due to fundamentally different external circumstances. According to her, the key factor for Kyiv is adopting necessary legislation rather than monitoring the pace of a neighboring country. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Олена Чупровська), according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Katarina Mathernova emphasized that although both states have identical criteria for membership in the European bloc, the context of their reforms is incomparable. She acknowledged Moldova’s achievements in fulfilling rule-of-law requirements but stressed Ukraine’s unique role in defending the continent.
The diplomat noted that Kyiv continues its systemic transformation of the public sector amidst full-scale aggression from the rf. Persistent comparisons with other candidate countries do not assist in accelerating legislative activities in the Verkhovna Rada.
Priorities for European integration
According to Mathernova, the focus should be strictly on the list of regulatory acts that must be promptly implemented to begin closing specific negotiation chapters. Previously, the European Commission noted a certain lag in Ukraine’s progress compared to Moldova regarding the implementation of anti-corruption initiatives.
Projections for completing accession negotiations also differ: for Chisinau, the target date is early 2028, whereas for Ukraine, the timeline may be 12 months longer. A separate aspect is Moldova’s energy independence, as the country has already fully abandoned the use of Russian gas following the synchronization with the Romanian and EU energy grids.
Illustrative photo: Ivasykus / CC BY-SA 4.0
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