Pe agendă: Mrs. Gherasimov, it so happens that the European integration process, of which you are directly responsible, is now closely connected with some metamorphoses that are taking place in the separatist region of the Republic of Moldova - Transnistria. Let me explain briefly: Recently, just last week, the European Union offered EUR 250 million to assist the Republic of Moldova in overcoming the energy crisis and to help the left bank of the Republic of Moldova, which was the most affected by this crisis. Tiraspol accepted part of this aid for 10 days, but on Monday, 10 February, they announced that they were refusing the European aid worth EUR 60 million.

 

Mrs. Gherasimov, I would like to ask you whether you have discussed with your partners in Brussels and what they have said about the refusal of Tiraspol to receive medium-term European aid?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: This refusal is a new information, which we all received recently.  One thing we know for sure is that for the European Union is important that the Republic of Moldova and all its citizens feel safe and can avoid energy blackmail, either on the right or left bank of the Dniester. This financial offer was made available to the Transnistrian region, but it is the right of the citizens of that region to accept it or not.

 

Pe agendă: Then, what will happen to this money now? Has the Republic of Moldova or the European Union thought about it?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Since the offer has been refused, this money will no longer be sent to the Republic of Moldova. (...)

 

Pe agendă: Mrs. Gherasimov, this aid offered by the European Union to the Republic of Moldova – EUR 250 million - who was it discussed by? Whose initiative, was it? Of Chișinău? Of the European Union? How did it happen?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Since we found out about the possible gas disconnection for the Transnistrian region, we have started a dialogue with our development partners, including the European Union. We have discussed with our interlocutors in Brussels multiple times the potential impact of such scenario. The consequences of a humanitarian crisis in the Transnistrian region were discussed by the President Maia Sandu during her visit to Brussels and by Prime Minister Dorin Recean during his working visit to Davos.

 

Personally, I have had several discussions, as well as the team from the Ministry of Energy, with the interlocutors in Brussels. This assistance package was completed in the last days before EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, visited Chișinău last week.

 

Pe agendă: So, Chișinău asked for this aid, and the European Union offered it. But who decided how much to offer? Were the calculations being made here or in Brussels?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: The Government of the Republic of Moldova has repeatedly sent to Brussels data on the impact of a possible humanitarian crisis on the left bank. There has also been an exchange of information on the compensation that the government is paying to our citizens in order to help them getting through this cold season.

 

This data has been provided to the Brussels institutions by the Government of the Republic of Moldova and has been carefully analysed. This assistance package is a reflection of our needs, which have been practically discussed and negotiated with the institutions in Brussels, with the European Commission. (...) (...)

 

Pe agendă: Mrs. Gherasimov, can this financial aid offered by the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, in the context of the energy crisis, be seen as an attempt of the European Union to help the reintegration of the two banks?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: I think the European Union's real intention was to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the Transnistrian region. An indirect consequence would have been the gradual creation or establishment of energy independence of the Transnistrian region, if they had accepted this aid. I do not believe that it was an objective of the European Union to move the Republic of Moldova towards an eventual reintegration of the country, because that decision belongs to Chișinău.

 

Pe agendă: Is the Republic of Moldova more likely to join the EU in two steps, as President Maia Sandu said - first the right bank and then the left bank? Or is it more likely that Moldova will join the EU as a single state?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: (...) It is important to realise that it is the duty of the Government of the Republic of Moldova to ensure the integration of the whole country into the European Union. But it is equally important to understand that our accession or non-accession to the EU does not depend on the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. This was confirmed once again by EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, in her last week press statements in Chișinău. She highlighted that the Republic of Moldova's accession process and the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict are two parallel processes.  

 

Pe agendă: Two parallel processes, but thinking about the speed at which they are unfolding, I would like to ask you: what is the priority of the Republic of Moldova at the moment - accession to the European Union or reintegration of the country?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: It is important that we have managed to overcome this first phase of the energy crisis, of the humanitarian crisis on the left bank of the Dniester and that our citizens there will be able to return to a so-called normality, which they are used to. At the same time, we are not going to stop working on our accession process.

 

From my area of responsibility, we continue to work with the same speed for the accession process. However, it would be difficult to say which of these two processes should be being prioritised, but it is certain that we are not stopping from the rhythm at which we are currently going through our negotiation process with the European Union.

 

Pe agendă: Ms. Gherasimov, the Republic of Moldova intends to open the first negotiation chapters this year, as I understand it, those which are part of clusters 1 and 6. When are you planning to open them?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: In the first half of this year, in the context of the Polish presidency, we will be technically ready to open these clusters - the first one, on fundamental values, and the sixth cluster, which covers external relations.

 

The first cluster, meaning the group of chapters, was concluded and the screening process was finalised at the end of 2024. The European Commission has produced an evaluation report which can be seen as an X-ray of our health condition as a country, and it indicates how far or close we are on certain policies, from the European Union standards. This report has been examined by the Council, and we are now expecting that, in the next few days or weeks, we will receive a letter from the Polish Presidency inviting us to submit the roadmaps or benchmarks that we worked on together last year and which have been consulted extensively with civil society, the business representatives and Parliament.

 

This would be the first group of chapters, which we hope to open in the next months at a second intergovernmental conference, which represents the negotiating platform. In terms of the negotiations opening themselves, there is no precise fixed timetable, because it depends on the consensus among all the Member States for this stage.

 

We should not forget that, indeed, the Republic of Moldova is doing its homework and is very well prepared, which is why it is appreciated by Brussels for all the effort it has put into the negotiation process. However, we are not operating in a political vacuum. There are certain discussions and a particular dynamic within the European Union in the overall enlargement process, where the discussion also includes the Western Balkan states and Ukraine. So, we are functioning in a geopolitical environment, where the political decision of the Member States does not depend on our technical preparation.

 

Pe agendă: If it is not just a matter of technical preparation, who or what could prevent the Republic of Moldova from keeping to its accession timetable?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: For a political decision, it is necessary the unanimous vote of all 27 member states. If a Member State opposes the opening of a new stage, the Republic of Moldova will not receive the invitation for the next stage. I remind you that there are other countries in the waiting list, such as Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and others, which are also on the agenda of the European Union and are being considered in the same discussions on the opening of a next stage for each of them.

 

Pe agendă: Are there any countries in the European Union that would have a problem with the Republic of Moldova's progress?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: At this stage, there are not. All countries are receptive for the Republic of Moldova to move to the next stage. But this is a very fragile consensus, which means that we have to work constantly to strengthen the trust, not only with Brussels, but also with each of the 27 member states. Because we do not know which will be the political configuration in one, two, three or four years. What is certain is that, today, we are fully enjoying the same openness from all Member States. 

 

Pe agendă: Ms. Gherasimov, one of the first negotiating chapters the Republic of Moldova hopes to open in the first half of this year is also related to justice - it is in the first cluster. The justice reform, initiated in the Republic of Moldova by the current government, has not gone as initially planned. It has gone slower, it is taking longer, and after the presidential elections of last autumn, including President Maia Sandu said that there is a need for stronger and faster action in the field of justice. So, what do the European partners of the Republic of Moldova say about this change of approach announced regarding the justice reform?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Let me first provide some context. I would like to remind the audience that over the last three years, even though the justice reform has been taking place on the background of scandals and all sorts of problems, even though the process is much slower than everyone expected it to be, the Republic of Moldova has still made progress in the justice reform. True, this is a long way to go, we are somewhere in the middle of the tunnel and maybe the light is not yet visible, but this does not mean that the reform has failed or is not moving forward.

 

The Brussels institutions are as interested as we are to see a reform process completed successfully. However, it is not very clear whether this process is a linear process, as we initially proposed, where we expected to have the vetting completed much faster than it actually is. Certainly, there are some obstacles that all of us, both as citizens and as development partners, need to take into account when we talk about our path in justice reform.

 

Pe agendă: What is the opinion of European partners about the intention to join the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Crime Organised Crime and Special Causes?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: The decision is up to the Republic of Moldova to make this step or not. This was a very clear message from our partners in Brussels. They are, just like us, very interested in the outcome of this fusion and if it will lead to an improvement of the situation or not. I find that a difficult question, whether you are in Chișinău or Brussels.

 

One thing is certain, there are similar institutional models to the one now being proposed in Chișinău in Member States countries of the European Union, such as Croatia. So, it is not a model which is not found in other countries (...)

 

Pe agendă: The Republic of Moldova intends to open the sixth cluster. Initially, it was expected that you wanted to open the first negotiating chapters in March. Has anything changed by now?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: There were rumors that it would be in March, but as I said, we do not have a fixed calendar. It could perhaps be March, April, May or June. It all depends on when the member states will manage to find that consensus on the priorities related to the European Union enlargement agenda.

 

Pe agendă: Does the National Action Plan for the Accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union stay valid until the end of the mandate of this European Commission or has it changed in the meantime?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: No, it has not changed. The mandate of the current European Commission is until 2029. This is our 'ticket' to the European Union, this is a very strong message from the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos. Mrs Commissioner considers it her responsibility to support the Republic of Moldova in its preparation for accession.

 

Therefore, if we continue working with the same speed, motivation and enthusiasm, we can hope that technically, by the end of this Commission's mandate, we will be ready for a further political vote of the Member States.

 

Pe agendă: Ms. Gherasimov, what should the citizens of the Republic of Moldova know that may or may not change once Chișinău opens the first negotiating chapters with the European Union?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: It is in our best interests to have a fair justice system, to have a European-level legislation that protects human rights and rights of all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity or language. It is in the interest of the Republic of Moldova's citizens so that the country can ensure internal stability and security, as well as being able to stabilise its borders. Everything that is done on our European agenda is first and foremost for the benefit of our citizens.

 

Pe agendă: At which stage is the relationship between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union? How would you explain it, beyond the complex processes that the country will go through and the changes that politicians will have to make?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: I think that we are in a process of expanding the family that we belong to. We are at the stage of getting acquainted with our future family and, as the EU Commissioner for Enlargement said, we are already part of the European family. It is just the process of formalising this relationship. Therefore, it is in our interest as a country to continue building that trust relationship that exists in any family.

 

Pe agendă: Mrs. Gherasimov, the Republic of Moldova has boarded this accession 'train' together with Ukraine, which first applied for membership after being invaded by Russia. It will soon be three years since the application. Now, is the Republic of Moldova still on the same accession 'train' with Ukraine?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Yes, we are moving forward on the same path, following the same timetable related to the negotiation stage, the screening. However, as soon as we open the first negotiating clusters, we are practically separating and going each on its own way. Because each country will have its own roadmap, in terms of the reforms and transformations that we are going to go through.

It depends entirely on us and on our will, how quickly or how slowly we will go through and integrate these transformations at home, to be ready. If we move faster, we can open and close chapters faster than Ukraine or other candidate countries.

 

Pe agendă: Mrs. Gherasimov, to what extent can the process of the Republic of Moldova's accession to the European Union be marked, in one way or another, by the actions and approaches of the new Washington administration? Is there any connection?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Certainly, everyone is waiting to see what Washington's position will be on the settlement of the Russian war against Ukraine, and this next geopolitical move at the global level could affect the speed of the discussions on the EU enlargement process.

 

Pe agendă: In what way could it affect the speed of the discussions on the EU enlargement process?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: We can expect either an acceleration of the accession process or a deceleration, depending on development of the situation in the region.

 

Pe agendă: The Republic of Moldova, when it applied for membership in March 2022, said that it had caught a window of opportunity. Is that window as wide open as it was three years ago?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Yes, today we enjoy the same openness from the European Union and it is very important to take advantage of it. Why do I say that? Because it really is a historic window.

 

The last time several candidate countries joined the European Union in a larger group was in 2004 and 2007. After that we witnessed a quiet period in the field of enlargement of the European Union, because there were certain processes that took time within the EU to adjust to its new composition. In recent years, we have seen openness and political will on the part of some Western Balkan candidate countries, but there has not been the same reciprocity from the Member States or from Brussels.

 

Today, at home, in the Republic of Moldova, we are happy to see the political will to speed up the accession process and we see this openness from all Member States and institutions in Brussels.

 

Interview from 07.02.2025

Video: „Pe agendă” with Cristina Popușoi, Radio Europa Liberă