The Polish president on Monday said that the post-Soviet states of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia should be able to join the European Union and reaffirmed his pledge to support their membership aspirations, writes polskieradio.pl
Andrzej Duda made the declaration after a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu in Chisinau, Poland’s PAP news agency reported.
Duda said that “Moldova has always been part of Europe.” He added that Poland had supported Moldova’s bid to obtain EU candidate status and eventually full membership “from the beginning.”
He told reporters that the Polish authorities were equally supportive of the European aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia, which he said also “historically and geographically” belonged to Europe.
He said “now is the time” for the EU “to say yes” to countries that “are determined to become members of the great European economic and civilisational community.”
Duda announced that Poland would provide Moldova with a EUR 20 million interest-free loan as Chisinau grapples with the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising energy prices.
The Polish president praised Moldova’s “big heart” in welcoming refugees from war-torn Ukraine. He also promised to speak to EU officials about opening the bloc’s borders to Moldovan products, after “the eastern export markets” had been cut off by war.
