ANKARA

The Weimar Triangle, a regional alliance of Germany, France and Poland, on Tuesday expressed support for Moldova in its process of becoming an EU member state.

In a joint statement, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French and Polish counterparts, Stephane Sejourne and Radoslav Sikorski, respectively, expressed their “unwavering and continuous support” for Moldova in its EU accession process.

The process “was made possible by democratic reforms and the courage of political leaders and determination of Moldovan citizens,” the statement said.

“We commend the progress already made and urge Moldova to stay the course,” it said, adding: “We will continue to provide assistance in this regard to ensure respect for EU fundamental values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”

“We welcome Moldova's success in repelling Russian destabilization efforts and commit ourselves to strengthening Moldova's resilience and capabilities to fight other threats posed by Russia,” the foreign ministers said.

They further said: “We acknowledge that the Moldovan armed forces and other respective services require adequate equipment and reinforced capacities to defend her territory.”

“We will continue our assistance in the field of security and defense cooperation both bilaterally as well as by means of the European Peace Facility,” the statement added.

The parliament of Moldova, which seceded from the USSR, adopted a declaration of independence on Aug. 27, 1991.

After declaring its independence, the country turned its eyes to Europe and signed an association agreement with the EU in 1994.

The agreement entered into force in 1998 and was renewed in 2014, facilitating visa-free travel for Moldovan citizens to EU member states.

In Moldova, the process of rapprochement with the EU accelerated after the Action and Solidarity Party, founded by pro-Western President Maya Sandu, came to power in 2020.

Moldova applied for EU accession in March 2022 and was granted candidate country status. Thus, membership negotiations between the EU and Moldova started in June this year.

In the country, which is governed by a parliamentary system, a referendum on EU membership will be held in October along with the presidential election.