President Metsola have a bilateral meeting with the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, before she addresses the plenary on the war in Ukraine and its consequences.

plenary session

EU - Moldova (T)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

formal sitting

SANDU, Maia (MD)

president's agenda

Visit of Maia SANDU, President of Moldova: arrival and meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President and extracts from the address to the plenary

Roberta METSOLA, EP President welcomes Maia SANDU, President of Moldova

Moldovan and European Anthems at the flags (7 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova, After the end of the Cold War. Expectations were high amongst our newly independent states for a new beginning, a new beginning of peace and development which would relegate to distant past unabashed land grabs and geopolitical conquests by larger states

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova, Russia's war against Ukraine seeks to put an end to this hopes and sends us all a century back in history. This war was caused precisely by geopolitical designs to reshape the region, to divide it into spheres of influence to seise territory. Russia has attacked a neighbouring state, just as big powers did in the past. and has unleashed an unimaginable tragedy on the Ukrainian people and the entire European continent. Russia's war against Ukraine was designed to turn Ukraine into something that nobody would want to be a geopolitical annexe of a more powerful neighbour. The Baltic states, the Bulgarians, the Hungarians, the Poles, the Romanians, the Czechs, the Slovaks and the Germans free states today remember vividly and all too well what this means? 

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova, We supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as we always did. Crimea is Ukraine, Donbas is Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine, and they will always be

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova, Building independent, strong institutions takes time. I'm asking for your help in tackling the corruption. I'm asking you to sanction the corrupt politicians who captured the institutions in the past, stole significant amounts of public money and have moved abroad, investing the stolen money, including in countries with consolidated democracies. I'm asking you to help us recover the stolen money and bring the corrupt fugitives to justice. The EU states and institutions, the international community should do more to reject the dirty money, especially the money, the dirty money coming from fragile democracies.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova, Moldova is strongly determined to stay part of the free world. We are part of Europe. The EU's values, our values, respect for human life and the pursuit of everyone's dreams in dignity and peace. As human beings, I ask you to increase the EU's support for Moldova for the sake of Moldovans who want to preserve their democracy and freedom, but also for the sake of Europe to have a stable, predictable and reliable partner and contributor to peace in its eastern neighbourhood

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU, President of the Republic of Moldova, We are a European country with our European language, a European history and the European political system. At least one third of us are already EU citizens. Our big diaspora is amongst youth. You have likely met us. We live side by side with you. We pay taxes and contribute to our share to the common 

SOUNDBITE (English), Maia SANDU,  President of the Republic of Moldova, The EU has created the longest period of peace in Europe's history, and it can do so again. Extend this anchor of peace once again to states seeking safe harbour, which truly merit and believe in this. Thank you.