Baltic leaders in Moldova to express support for country's EU integration

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is going to Moldova on Tuesday where he and the leaders of the other Baltic states will express support for Moldova's EU membership.

A Seimas delegation is also visiting Moldova this week for the same purpose.

Nauseda and his Latvian and Estonian counterparts will participate in the events marking Moldova's Independence Day and will meet with the country's President Maja Sandu, the presidential office said on Monday.

The Baltic presidents are traveling to Moldova to express their support for the country's EU integration as Moldova is set to hold a referendum on EU membership on October 20.

The Seimas delegation will participate in the Independence Day celebrations, meet with representatives of Moldovan regional authorities and civil society, and Ion Babici, chair the Moldovan parliament's friendship group with Lithuania.

Lithuanian lawmakers will share Lithuania's success story in joining the EU and 20 years of experience as an EU member state.

"Russia's hybrid attacks are intensifying, antagonizing and intimidating the public, raising tensions between ethnic groups and spreading propaganda. Only through joint efforts and sharing our experience will we help the Republic of Moldova to maintain its chosen course and become a full member of the European family", MP Andrius Mazuronis, one of the members of the Lithuanian delegation, said.

Moldova has recently made progress towards EU membership. After Moldova was granted candidate status in 2022, EU countries started negotiations on Moldova's and Ukraine's accession to the block earlier this summer.

The two countries applied for EU membership following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.