Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Romania, hosts of the third Ministerial Conference of the Moldova Support Platform (Paris, 21 November 2022)
The third ministerial conference of the Moldova Support Platform was held in Paris today. The conference brought together the foreign ministers and high-level representatives of 36 partner States, as well as the leaders or representatives of 15 key international organizations. The Moldova Support Platform (MSP) is an intergovernmental instrument aimed at helping the Republic of Moldova (hereafter referred to as Moldova) to overcome the huge challenges it faces, particularly in the context of the war of aggression being waged by Russia against Ukraine. The first two ministerial conferences were held in Berlin and Bucharest, under the aegis of Romania, Germany and France.
Drawing on the significant progress achieved in Berlin and Bucharest, the third conference strove to identify operational solutions to address Moldova’s most pressing needs. The conference put a strong emphasis on drawing up practical solutions and lending immediate assistance in the energy field, to strengthen Moldova’s resilience in it. Condemning Russia’s cynical use of energy as a tool of blackmail and destabilization, the participants agreed to increase the international community’s mobilization in order to provide Moldova with concrete political, financial and technical assistance to bolster the country’s energy security in the short and medium term.
The co-chairs of the six thematic working groups established as part of the MSP delivered a report to the heads of delegation on the progress made since the previous conferences and the measures proposed to provide a tailored response to Moldova’s needs. Focusing on economic assistance, the humanitarian situation of refugees, the reform of public administration and the management of public finances, the fight against corruption, effective border management and energy challenges, these working groups demonstrated their crucial importance in terms of identifying Moldova’s needs and operational solutions.
Today in Paris, the participants in the Moldova Support Platform reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the process to integrate Moldova into Europe, based on an effort of coherent reforms and on their sharing the fundamental common values of democracy, freedom and peace. They welcomed Moldova’s clear political commitment in this regard and recognized the commitment made and practical measures taken to respond to the recommendations contained in the European Commission’s opinion on its EU membership application. They welcomed the Republic of Moldova’s decision to host the next meeting of the European Political Community in June 2023, which will be an important stage in discussions about Europe’s political and strategic future.
The participants reconfirmed their interest in contributing to Moldova’s stability, prosperity and development, proposing operational solutions addressing the most urgent socio-economic challenges and the priorities of its reform programme. The participants pledged to continue their cooperation practically and comprehensively, in order to support Moldova.
The next ministerial conference of the Moldova Support Platform will be held in Moldova in 2023.