CHISINAU. June 1 (Interfax) - Negotiations on Moldova's accession to the European Union will begin in 2023, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said.
"We are impressed with the speed with which Moldova has responded to the recommendations, and it's ongoing with its work that the [European] Commission has put for it. We will be ready when Moldova is ready," Metsola said at a European Political Community summit taking place in Moldova on Thursday.
Negotiations on Moldova's accession to the EU should start at the European Parliament as early as this year, she said when asked by journalists whether Moldova could join the EU by the end of 2030.
"The fact that we are meeting here today, in Moldova, is not only a show of support but our commitment that stems from when Moldova became a candidate country," she said.
"I was here last week, in Moldova, in front of a strong 80,000 group of Moldovan citizens [at the European Moldova rally], chanting and stating with the most adamant firmness that Moldova's place is in Europe. And here I am today on behalf of the European Parliament, and I will pitch for common actions and common solutions," Metsola said.
The European Political Community summit is being held at the Castel Mimi winery estate in the village of Bulboaca, 35 kilometers from Chisinau.