Moldova's government is in "a race against time to prevail" in the struggle to continue building democracy, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Tuesday at a gathering of foreign officials in Chișinău.
Sandu made an appeal to foreign governments backing Moldova for more support, stressing that economic progress "is crucial for strengthening support for democracy, and democracy is the best foundation for creating a prosperous economy."
"Moldova is ready to drive growth and stability at home and in the region, but we can't do it alone. So, we count on your further support," she said.
Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, and the country is divided between pro-EU and pro-Russian political forces.
Like Ukraine, Moldova has been a candidate for EU accession since 2022. On October 20, at the same time as the presidential election, Moldova will hold a referendum on whether the goal of joining the EU will be enshrined in the country's constitution.
Supporters of the referendum see it as a step that would cement the country's path towards the European Union. Moldova's government hopes to join the EU by 2030, although many view that timeline as very ambitious.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who helped launch the international conference to support Moldova along with France and Romania in April 2022, met with Sandu in Chișinău on Tuesday.
Baerbock said they spoke about ways to strengthen Moldova's path toward EU membership, including through judicial reforms and measures to tackle corruption.
The minister also said that a new German-Moldovan agreement on cyber security will help defend the country against destabilization and disinformation campaigns from Moscow.
IT equipment, information exchange and training will help prevent cyber attacks and expose disinformation, said Baerbock.
"In this hybrid war, fake news campaigns and lies from Russian actors are a targeted weapon," she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Baerbock pledged an additional €100 million ($111 million) in winter aid for Ukraine in view of the ongoing Russian attacks on infrastructure in the country.
The support for Ukraine is "also support for Moldova and European democracy as a whole," Baerbock said on Tuesday.
Moldova borders Ukraine, and Baerbock said that "the biggest concern of the local people here is that if Ukraine falls, Moldova will be the next country to fall."
Baerbock went on to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin also wants to see Moldova collapse: "He has achieved the opposite. Moldova, like Ukraine, is now a candidate for European Union membership."
The immediate task now is to further stabilise Moldova, she said.
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