The Republic of Moldova is ready to open accession negotiations by chapters and the EU Council should take this step this month, declared MEP Siegfried Muresan, chairman of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with the Republic of Moldova, as he co-chaired the 16th meeting of the EU-Republic of Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee in Chisinau on Friday, a press release from his office informs.

Together with his counterpart from the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, MP Marcel Spatari, and colleagues from the European Parliament and the Chisinau legislature, they unanimously adopted the meeting declaration, which calls for the start of accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova by the end of 2025.

'This month, the Council of the European Union must act. There is no technical reason to delay the opening of cluster negotiations. The Republic of Moldova is ready, as confirmed by the European Commission's latest enlargement report,' said Siegfried Muresan, who also serves as Vice-President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

'The citizens of the Republic of Moldova have voted pro-European in the last five consecutive general elections, hoping for a future in the European Union and trusting that European partners will stand by them. We must honor this trust. Advancing the integration process also serves the EU's own interests, while delaying negotiations only benefits its adversaries,' he added.

The declaration further urges the European Commission to provide greater support to Moldova in accessing funds from the EUR 1.9 billion Growth Plan.

'This year, we adopted the largest European support instrument in the history of the Republic of Moldova: EUR 1.9 billion for the country to modernize, approach European standards and raise the standard of living for people. EUR 289 million have been disbursed so far from this budget. We believe that the attraction of these funds must be sped up and the next tranches must come as soon as possible, so that people can feel the benefits of these investments and reforms more and more quickly. Therefore, we ask the European Commission to get more involved in helping Moldova implement the plan and attract the funds,' Muresan said.

Last but not least, MEPs and lawmakers in Chisinau voiced support in their declaration for strengthening Moldova's security against external aggression, particularly from the Russian Federation.

'Russia tried to influence Moldova's elections and block its European path, but failed. Security risks remain and will rise again. As Moldova advances toward accession, Russia will intensify its efforts to stop it. Therefore, we demand Moldova's inclusion in the common defense measures at the European level. The European Union is safe only if Moldova is safe,' added the PNL MEP. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Florin Stefan; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)