Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Tuesday that membership for Ukraine and Moldova in the European Union by 2030 is a strategic goal for Lithuania.
“Moldova’s and Ukraine’s membership in the European Union no later than 2030 is a strategic goal for Lithuania,” Nausėda told reporters after meeting with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Vilnius.
The Lithuanian leader praised Moldova’s progress in implementing reforms and urged the country to continue accelerating its efforts.
“We encourage Moldova to continue and accelerate necessary EU-related reforms, make them irreversible, and ensure their benefits are tangible and understandable to society,” Nausėda said.
He added that a focus on fundamental issues – particularly judicial reform and the fight against corruption – remains essential for success in accession negotiations.
Nausėda said 2030 is a reasonable target date not only for Moldova but also for other European countries seeking EU membership.
“We have always advocated that an aspirational date is a very important element of the political process,” he said. “We are talking about a comprehensive accession timeline for both Moldova and other states, primarily Montenegro, Albania and the Western Balkans. I think this is based on realistic possibilities.”
“If this process could be shortened and membership achieved earlier, we would only be happy,” Nausėda added, stressing that countries should be rewarded according to their progress in implementing reforms.
Sandu said it was realistic for Chișinău to join the EU within four years.
“I believe that 2030 is a realistic deadline for Moldova’s accession to the EU. We believe it is a realistic timeline for Moldova to sign the treaty by 2028,” she said, adding that the country is fully committed to achieving that goal.
According to Sandu, Moldova was ranked the best-performing EU candidate country in an evaluation report published last year.
“If this is indeed a merit-based process, I think this timeline should also be realistic for the EU,” she said.
Sandu said resolving the conflict in Transnistria is crucial for Moldova’s EU accession.
“The biggest obstacle to reintegration, of course, is the presence of illegally deployed Russian troops there,” she said. “Once we find a solution to this problem, the rest of the process can move forward.”
Nausėda said Lithuania would continue supporting Moldova’s development and EU accession by sharing its expertise.
He noted that Lithuanian cybersecurity and strategic communication teams had recently worked in Moldova to help counter Russian “information attacks” ahead of parliamentary elections.
“We are ready to share this knowledge and these capabilities in the future,” he said.
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