2022.06.14摩尔多瓦副总理敦促欧盟扩大其成员资格

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Russia and Ukraine
Moldova’s deputy prime minister urges the EU to expand its membership
Nicu Popescu says his country is eager to join

Jun 14th 2022

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AFTER THE great destruction of the second world war, there was a singular purpose behind the creation of what is now the European Union: lasting peace. The EU must renew its commitment to this mission in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And enlargement is the most effective instrument that it can use to foster peace and bring stability to fragile eastern Europe.

Article 49 of the founding treaty of the EU establishes that any European state which respects human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, and which is committed to promoting them, may apply to become a member of the union. Moldova is committed to these values. We have demonstrated it the hard way.


When the first Russian bombs exploded on Ukrainian soil, Moldova condemned the Russian invasion of our neighbour. Our country respects the international financial sanctions on Russia, and we voted to cast it out of several international forums. We also welcomed almost half a million refugees crossing our border as they fled the war. Some 78,000 chose to stay here and most are hosted in private homes, not in government facilities.

In favour of democracy and against authoritarianism, Moldova applied to join the EU on March 3rd. We seek formal candidate status for membership. Our EU bid is hardly news. For over 20 years, the EU has been an anchor for the peaceful, prosperous, and democratic development of Moldova.

We have never abandoned our goal of European integration. Throughout Russian trade embargoes, oligarchic rule, political arm-twisting and gas crises, we remained steadfast. When our politicians failed to draw us closer to the EU, our citizens acted. Last year a Russia-leaning administration was voted out of office.

For the first time since Moldova’s independence more than three decades ago, the president, the parliament and the government are guided by the same objective of achieving a breakthrough on the European path. This unique political conjuncture must not be wasted.

It is time for the EU to embrace Moldova. Member states know that stability and prosperity among the EU’s neighbours means stability and prosperity for all. Enlargement of the union is the best way forward for all and Moldova deserves inclusion. Our democratic institutions are functional, we are committed to the rule of law and we are aligned with EU foreign policy. In addition, we are prepared to enact further reforms and other measures necessary to join. And we have already implemented significant parts of the acquis communautaire—the body of legal rights and obligations that bind all EU countries—since the signing of the Association Agreement in 2014.


There are relevant precedents that support our application to join. Emerging from dictatorship, in the 1980s Greece, Portugal and Spain joined what was then the European Community as a means of boosting their new democracies and modernising their economies. The Thessaloniki Summit in 2003 opened the door to a European future for the western Balkans after the tragic Yugoslav wars in the 1990s. Their accession process might have been slow and imperfect, but it has stabilised the region politically and provided motivation for reforms.

Moldova needs an economic boost, too. With a dramatic increase in the country’s population—a 4% rise at the peak of the influx of refugees from Ukraine—Moldova’s resources are overstretched. Inflation has hit 27%, mainly because of a four-fold increase in energy prices. Investments, trade and supply chains are all affected. Covering the shortfall in revenue is no simple task.

Closer economic integration with the EU will help us tackle these challenges. The union is already our largest trading partner and accounts for 67% of Moldova’s total exports. The EU is also a significant source of job-generating foreign direct investment.

Along with Ukraine’s own electricity system, we are connected to the European Network of Transmission System Operators and taking steps to open electricity trading on the EU market. In addition, electricity interconnections with Romania are being built and the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline is operational. Most recently, Moldova has been included in the joint energy purchases under the REPowerEU plan, which aims to strengthen the continent’s energy security. The accession process would help consolidate these ties, diversify away from dependency on Russian gas and modernise our economy.

Economic growth may also make a long-lasting settlement with the breakaway Transnistrian region more likely. Growing prosperity would make Moldova more attractive to its residents and the pitch of the separatist authorities less attractive.

I am aware of the huge responsibility that lies on the political leadership of the EU and its member states. The challenges we are facing require statesmanship, courage and strategic vision beyond short-term calculations. Historic moments call for historic decisions. They will involve costs, but inaction and negligence will cost Europe more. Moldova is a small country of 3m people. We will be either part of the EU or left in a dangerous limbo. The window of opportunity is small. There is no time for hesitation. ■

Nicu Popescu is Moldova’s deputy prime minister and also minister of foreign affairs and European integration


俄罗斯和乌克兰
摩尔多瓦副总理敦促欧盟扩大其成员资格
尼库-波佩斯库说他的国家渴望加入

2022年6月14日



在第二次世界大战的巨大破坏之后，创建现在的欧盟背后有一个独特的目的：持久和平。鉴于俄罗斯对乌克兰的入侵，欧盟必须重申其对这一使命的承诺。而扩大欧盟是它可以用来促进和平并为脆弱的东欧带来稳定的最有效工具。

欧盟创始条约第49条规定，任何尊重人类尊严、自由、民主、平等、法治和人权，并致力于促进它们的欧洲国家，都可以申请成为联盟的成员。摩尔多瓦致力于这些价值观。我们已经以艰难的方式证明了这一点。


当俄罗斯的第一枚炸弹在乌克兰土地上爆炸时，摩尔多瓦谴责了俄罗斯对我们邻国的入侵。我国尊重对俄罗斯的国际金融制裁，我们投票将其赶出了几个国际论坛。我们还欢迎近50万名难民在逃离战争时穿越我们的边界。约有7.8万人选择留在这里，大多数人被安置在私人住宅，而不是政府设施中。

为了支持民主和反对独裁主义，摩尔多瓦于3月3日申请加入欧盟。我们寻求正式的候选成员国地位。我们的欧盟申请几乎不是新闻。20多年来，欧盟一直是摩尔多瓦和平、繁荣和民主发展的一个支柱。

我们从来没有放弃过欧洲一体化的目标。在俄罗斯的贸易禁运、寡头统治、政治角力和天然气危机中，我们仍然坚定不移。当我们的政治家未能拉近我们与欧盟的距离时，我们的公民采取了行动。去年，一个倾向于俄罗斯的政府被投票赶下台。

自30多年前摩尔多瓦独立以来，总统、议会和政府第一次在实现欧洲道路上的突破这一相同目标的指导下。这一独特的政治形势决不能被浪费。

现在是欧盟拥抱摩尔多瓦的时候了。成员国知道，欧盟邻国的稳定和繁荣意味着所有人的稳定和繁荣。联盟的扩大是所有人的最佳出路，摩尔多瓦应该被纳入其中。我们的民主机构在运作，我们致力于法治，我们与欧盟的外交政策保持一致。此外，我们准备颁布进一步的改革和其他必要的措施来加入。自2014年签署《联系协定》以来，我们已经实施了共同体法律的重要部分--约束所有欧盟国家的法律权利和义务体系。


有一些相关的先例支持我们加入的申请。20世纪80年代，希腊、葡萄牙和西班牙摆脱了独裁统治，加入了当时的欧洲共同体，作为促进其新的民主制度和经济现代化的手段。2003年的塞萨洛尼基峰会为90年代南斯拉夫战争悲剧后的西巴尔干地区打开了欧洲未来的大门。他们的加入过程可能是缓慢和不完善的，但它在政治上稳定了该地区并为改革提供了动力。

摩尔多瓦也需要一个经济推动力。随着该国人口的急剧增加--在乌克兰难民涌入的高峰期，人口增长了4%--摩尔多瓦的资源已经捉襟见肘。通货膨胀已经达到27%，主要是因为能源价格增长了四倍。投资、贸易和供应链都受到了影响。弥补收入的不足不是一项简单的任务。

与欧盟更紧密的经济一体化将帮助我们应对这些挑战。欧盟已经是我们最大的贸易伙伴，占摩尔多瓦出口总额的67%。欧盟也是创造就业的外国直接投资的一个重要来源。

与乌克兰自己的电力系统一起，我们与欧洲输电系统运营商网络相连，并采取步骤在欧盟市场上开放电力交易。此外，与罗马尼亚的电力互联正在建设中，Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau天然气管道也在运行。最近，摩尔多瓦被纳入了旨在加强欧洲大陆能源安全的REPowerEU计划下的联合能源采购中。入盟进程将有助于巩固这些关系，摆脱对俄罗斯天然气的依赖，并使我们的经济现代化。

经济增长也可能使我们更有可能与分离的德涅斯特河地区达成长期的解决方案。日益增长的繁荣将使摩尔多瓦对其居民更具吸引力，而分离主义当局的投机行为则不那么有吸引力。

我知道欧盟及其成员国的政治领导人肩负着巨大的责任。我们所面临的挑战需要超越短期计算的政治家精神、勇气和战略眼光。历史性的时刻需要历史性的决定。它们将涉及成本，但不作为和疏忽将使欧洲付出更大代价。摩尔多瓦是一个拥有300万人口的小国。我们要么成为欧盟的一部分，要么被留在一个危险的边缘地带。机会之窗很小。没有时间犹豫了。■

尼库-波佩斯库是摩尔多瓦的副总理，也是外交和欧洲一体化部长。