By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL- Moldova took center stage on Thursday when the second European Political Community (EPC) Summit met in the capital Chisinau to convey a resounding message that Europe stands united on all fronts and that support for Moldova and Ukraine are without question. The summit, hosted by Moldova’s President Maia Sandu put the focus on international security, defense and the climate as well as the ongoing war on Ukraine by Russia and Moldova’s future and security. As Sandu expressed: “Today, we have shown our strength and unity at a time when the stability of our continent is threatened. We have shown that we are united against the largest military aggression since World War II – and against violations of international law … Our joint actions will bind our European family closer together.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was the first foreign leader to arrive at the summit where he raised the topic of Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Zelensky called on leaders to make a firm decision on whether to admit Ukraine to NATO and urged them to do this at the July summit in Vilnius. As Zelensky commented: “In summer, in Vilnius at the NATO summit, a clear invitation from members [to] Ukraine is needed and security guarantees on the way to NATO membership are needed.” Prior to the summit, Zelensky lauded Moldova’s hospitality to Ukrainian refugees and emphasized Ukraine’s solidarity with the Moldovan people. Zelensky also met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as well as other leaders at the summit. The Ukrainian president reiterated Ukraine’s need for Patriot air defense systems and fighter jets to counter Russian forces. Sandu told Zelensky that Moldova “will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,” adding “I know that if it were not for the resilience and courage of Ukraine, my own country would be under threat.
European Council President Charles Michel spoke to reporters before the summit, explaining: “We are 45 countries represented here in Chisinau – it is a powerful symbol. We have a common political will to coordinate and cooperate in the field of energy, security and infrastructure. And we will have the opportunity today to discuss all those topics and to try to build more political convergence in order to defend some very important common interests.” In addition to 47 heads of state and government, non-NATO member countries came – some candidates to become NATO members and some who seek NATO membership as well European countries who support the West. Also, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell in a press statement before the summit, said such a gathering of major European leaders, sends a “strong message of unity” while expressing how crucial it is to have European solidarity with Ukraine.
During the summit, at a press briefing – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis echoed Borrell’s sentiment when he said that “clear political signals” were conveyed with the summit, especially how important Moldova is to Europe, ongoing support for Ukraine and its people and how strategically crucial Eastern Europe and the extended Black Sea region is. Iohannis who supports Moldova becoming a NATO member, added: “The Republic of Moldova is not alone in facing the challenges it has to face. Romania stands by it, as I have shown, through concrete facts, on every occasion, and I also said this at the opening of the Summit when I spoke: Moldova is not alone.”
Moldova’s President Sandu lauded the “series of tangible results for Moldova” that have come out of the summit which includes financial packages for thermal insulation of buildings, modernization of railways and strengthening the military, reaches a total of 1.6 billion euros, in addition to financing Moldova received in 2021. Meanwhile, prior to the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced enhanced support for Moldova’s integration. Sandu also commented that on June 1, Moldova’s European partners took action to assist Chisinau in dealing with hybrid threats, simultaneously announcing more EU sanctions on oligarchs and criminals attempting to destabilize Moldova. Another crucial issue at the summit was normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. To that end, French President Macron, European Council President Michel and German Chancellor Scholz met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to discuss. Issues covered included connectivity, security, rights, border delineation and the peace treaty. A statement from the European Commission said that EU representatives conveyed their commitment to assist with additional advancements toward normalizing relations. Leaders agreed to meet again in Brussels on July 21 to expand their dialogue on these issues.
