Prime Minister Iurie Leanca made statements to this effect in an interview with BBC World News host Stephen Sackur.
According to the prime minister, Moldova's European integration would improve the situation in the region and citizens have shown that they are ready to join the European Union. "The European integration of Moldova, a small country with a low population, will bring greater stability and security in South-Eastern Europe. Our citizens already enjoy visa liberalisation and are not abusing this benefit as some expected. At the same time, Moldovan migrants are respected in the countries where they work. Thus, the Moldovans have already shown that they are ready for European integration", said the prime minister. Iurie Leanca stressed that Moldova would continue to implement reforms to move forward on its European path. "For us, there is no alternative. Advancing on the European path is the best development option for Moldova. Obtaining the status of candidate country represents irreversibility in building democracy. At the same time, I want to highlight that there is no need to modify Moldova’s neutrality status to achieve this", said the prime minister. Referring to the tragic events in Ukraine, Iurie Leanca said that these once again proved how fragile the region’s security architecture was. The prime minister also stressed that Moldova was interested in developing relations with Russia within a dialogue on equal terms: "In the twenty-first century, Moldova – together with Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Russia - is equally subjected to international law. The Russian Federation, the European Union, the United States, and China - they all have a legitimate interest in Moldova. The difference lies in the way that you follow these interests. We want to develop an active dialogue with the Russian Federation to increase trade. We are convinced that the European integration will transform Moldova into a more stable and predictable state, which is not only good for our relations with the West, but also with the East", concluded Prime Minister Iurie Leanca.
