Minister Byrne welcomes Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister to Dublin

The Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne TD, today (30 September) welcomed Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Chief Negotiator with the European Union, Cristina Gherasimov, in Dublin.

Commenting on the meeting at Government Buildings, Minister Byrne said: “I greatly welcome the opportunity to meet again with Deputy Prime Minister Gherasimov, to discuss how we can best progress Moldova’s accession process. During our meeting, I reiterated Ireland’s strong commitment to EU enlargement, which is a key priority of Ireland’s EU Presidency. The meeting also provided an opportunity to highlight Ireland’s ongoing efforts to secure significant further progress on enlargement in the months ahead.”

Speaking about Moldova’s accession process, the Minister noted: “Moldova is one of the frontrunners in the accession process and the progress they have achieved over recent years must be commended. In July, I chaired the third Accession Conference with Moldova, marking the opening of Cluster 6 on External Relations. Ireland will continue to work with all Member States to advance Moldova’s candidacy through the opening of all remaining clusters. EU enlargement is in Moldova’s interest and is in the interest of existing EU member states.”

Minister Byrne continued: “Earlier this year, I visited Chișinău, and through my regular engagement with the Moldovan government, I am aware of the excellent work that Moldova is undertaking to meet the challenge of aligning their laws with the EU, against the backdrop of ongoing hybrid threats and external interference they are facing. I look forward to speaking at an event tomorrow at the Institute of International and European Affairs with Deputy Prime Minister Gherasimov, which will focus on Moldova’s Rule of Law reforms as part of their EU accession process. Moldova’s future lies within the EU and Ireland fully supports Moldova on their path towards EU membership.”

ENDS

Press Office

30 September