Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed a formal application for her country to join the European Union on Thursday, Reuters reports.
Sandu’s move comes days after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a request for immediate EU membership as it battles Russian forces. Earlier today Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili also signed a formal application for EU membership.
Sandu, the prime minister and the parliamentary speaker all signed the document during a briefing in the capital Chisinau.
“It took 30 years for Moldova to reach maturity, but today the country is ready to take responsibility for its own future,” said Sandu, before holding up the signed document to the television cameras.
“We want to live in peace, prosperity, be part of the free world. While some decisions take time, others must be made quickly and decisively, and taking advantage of the opportunities that come with a changing world,” she said.
The application will be sent to Brussels in the coming days, she said.
Negotiations to join the EU – which both Chisinau and Kyiv have not even begun – typically take many years as the candidate country aligns its legislation with that of the 27-nation bloc.
EU leaders may discuss Ukraine’s request at an informal summit next month, diplomats said.
