EU-Moldova Association Council meeting to be held – Photo: European Union

The seventh EU-Republic of Moldova Association Council starts today.

Held in Brussels with senior EU leadership in attendance, this is the first council held since Moldova was granted EU candidate country status amid their effort to join the bloc. Moldova, along with Ukraine, has made Europeanisation a keen focus of its foreign policy over the last year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the primary catalyst for this policy focus. As with many countries in Eastern Europe, Moldova has been a target of Russian interference in domestic politics, pushing the country only further towards the EU. Any previous pro-Russian policies have been vastly diminished.

While the war in Ukraine has aided Moldova and Ukraine’s membership candidacy in the short-term, the road to full EU membership is long – and the war will likely continue to delay both country’s efforts. While the Moldovan government has taken steps to eradicate corruption, the country has a long history of entrenched corruption and state capture. This, coupled with Russian meddling, means that full-fledged membership is a long way off. The council will focus on specific policy efforts to aid in Moldova’s accession, however any efforts to fast-track membership will be stymied. A lack of economic development, particularly as a result of the commodities shock from the war in Ukraine, will also delay accession.