Officials urge Moldova to seize opportunity for EU membership

FILE PHOTO: Moldovan President Maia Sandu attends a news conference during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Chisinau, Moldova, May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File Photo

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova launched a nationwide discussion on securing European Union membership, with senior officials and academics urging their compatriots to seize every opportunity to join the bloc or run the risk of being left behind or sinking into chaos.

Ex-Soviet Moldova, led by pro-European President Maia Sandu and one of the continent's poorest countries, won formal recognition from the EU in June as a candidate for the arduous process of joining the 27-nation bloc.