Moldova is ready to consider the possibility of joining the European Union without becoming a full member.
Elchi.az reports that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popșoi, stated this in an interview with Euroactiv.
“We are open to creative ideas, but our main goal is, of course, to become a full member with equal rights with all members. We will discuss the details and will be able to give a more pragmatic answer when we have a concrete proposal,” Popșoi said, commenting on this possibility.
He also emphasized that it is especially important to make significant progress on this issue before the 2028 presidential elections.
Euroactiv notes that the European Commission has long been considering a two-tier membership system, although it has not put forward a formal proposal. In this system, new countries would have to go through a trial period before obtaining all rights, including the right of veto.
The EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, opposes this system and believes that such a mechanism could create “second-class” citizens in the EU.
Moldova applied for EU membership on March 3, 2022, on the same day as Georgia and three days after Ukraine. The country received candidate status in June 2022, and officially started negotiations on June 25, 2024.
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