CHISINAU, October 31. /TASS/. Alexandru Munteanu, who is running for Moldova’s prime minister, has said that his country could potentially join the European Union without Transnistria.
"This is rather a theoretical and scholastic matter. In theory, I think it's possible. But bearing in mind the current situation, I’d rather we join the European Union along with Transnistria. If this problem is not resolved, then yes [we could join without it]. It’s not up to us alone," he said when presenting his campaign platform to parliament.
Munteanu was nominated to the post by the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity, which retained a majority of seats after the parliamentary elections.
The idea of Moldova joining the European Union without Transnistria was earlier articulated by President Maia Sandu and former EU ambassador to Moldova Janis Mazeiks.
Talks on the Transnistrian settlement in the 5+2 format (Moldova, Transnistria, the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine and observers from the United States and the European Union) have been frozen for more than five years. Moreover, after taking presidential office in 2020, Sandu refused to meet with the head of the unrecognized republic of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky, despite opposition criticism and calls for invigorating the negotiating process.
After the European Union summit granted the status of candidates for EU membership to Ukraine and Moldova in 2023, the European Commission recommended accession talks be launched with these countries. However, the EU summit did not say when such talks would begin.