site.btaBulgaria Will Continue to Support Moldova’s European Path, Foreign Minister Petrova Says

Following a meeting with Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihail Popsoi, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova told a briefing that Bulgaria would continue to support Moldova’s path to the EU.

According to her, Moldova has proved that when there is political will and readiness for reforms, the path to EU accession is possible, even in a deteriorating security environment and with military hostilities taking place in the immediate vicinity. Moldova's government has shown that it has the readiness, political will and maturity to confidently pursue this path, Petrova also said.

Regarding the Bulgarian community in the Taraclia district, which numbers around 50,000 people, the Minister said that Moldova had ensured that the administrative reform in the country would not have a negative impact on the Bulgarian minority. Petrova recalled that a decision has been made to preserve the Taraclia district as a separate administrative-territorial unit.

Petrova also noted that the Bulgarian minority in Moldova is a key element of the bilateral relations between the countries and one of the strongest motivations for developing cooperation.

The focus of the discussions was the energy security, Petrova noted. She said that Bulgaria is helping strengthen the energy security in Moldova through the Vertical Gas Corridor and that Bulgarian companies can now operate in Moldova.

Answering a question about the future package of sanctions against Russia, the Foreign Minister said that the important thing about sanctions is that they have a greater impact on Russia than on the Member States and that they have economic consequences that would lead to an end to the war rather than to its continuation.

Regarding the drone incident in Leipzig, Petrova said that the most important thing is to express solidarity with Germany, which she had done personally at a meeting with her German counterpart in Ireland. She added that Bulgaria has done what was necessary, which was to make its position clear that it stands in solidarity with its partner.