(ANSA-AFP) - CHISINAU, 21 MAG - Tens of thousands of
Moldovans rallied on Sunday to demand European Union membership
for their country, whose bid to join the bloc has been
accelerated by the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The former
Soviet republic of 2.6 million people applied last year to join
the EU and in June 2022 became a candidate country, alongside
Ukraine. More than 75,000 people participated in the
demonstration in the centre of the capital, Chisinau, according
to initial police estimates. They waved EU flags and chanted
pro-European slogans.
"We came to say loudly, confidently and proudly that
Moldovans are Europeans!" President Maia Sandu, who had called
for the rally, told the crowd. She said her country wanted to
join the 27-nation EU by 2030. "This is the chance for our
people to live in peace and prosperity," she said. Fulfilling
the necessary criteria for joining the EU was "a road of great
efforts ... but it is the only road". European Parliament
President Roberta Metsola, who also spoke at the rally, said the
EU would support Moldova's bid, adding that it was "already
ready for European integration". - Protection from Russia -
Sandu told AFP in an interview earlier this week that Moldova
was seeking EU membership "as soon as possible" as protection
against any threat from Russia. In February she accused Russia
of fomenting a coup to try and seize power in her tiny country.
It already has a breakaway region, Transnistria, where Russia
has stationed a small number of troops. Ahead of the rally, the
government ran information campaigns inviting people to attend,
and put on more public transport on Sunday to make it easier for
them. "We want to live better," Nicolae Basiu, a 73-year-old
pensioner from a village north of the capital, told AFP. Aurica
Baltag, a 35-year-old student from Chisinau who attended the
rally with her two children, said she would like them "to have a
beautiful future in our country ... to live freely". "We are
going through a difficult time now. The war in our neighbour's
country is very stressful for us. We hope we won't be left in
the shadows," she told AFP. On June 1, Moldova will hold its
first major summit of wider Europe, bringing together leaders of
all 27 EU countries with 20 of the bloc's neighbours. EU
membership, however, could take a decade or more to attain,
given the long list of requirements candidate countries must
meet to be able to sit alongside the other nations in the
European single market. str-jza/gil
/ (ANSA-AFP).
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Tens of thousands of Moldovans rally for EU membership
Sandu: "Moldovans are Europeans!", "the chance to live in peace"