A visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Moldova on Thursday signals an increasingly closer relationship between the EU and the former Soviet state, which is still partly occupied by Russian troops.
Today a clear majority of Moldovans want to join the EU, says former MP Veaceslav Ionita, now an expert with the Viitorul thinktank in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital.
"People, including the national minority who is pro-Russian, recognise that the countries who help us the most are Romania and other members of the EU," Ionita told RFI.
The EU has spent some €1 billion to support the Moldovian people, notably during an energy crisis that all but paralysed the country in 2022.
Following the signing of a free trade agreement in 2014, at least half of Moldava's trade is now with EU countries.
Moldova couldn't survive without the European Union, Ionita says.
Von der Leyen was to "reiterate the EU's continued support for Moldova on its path of European integration, and as it continues to face the consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine," the EU's website said.
She was to meet with with Moldovan president Maia Sandu, a relentless lobbyist for EU support to Chisinau.
The European Union spent more than 1 billion euro to support Moldavian people. Moldova can't survive without the European Union.
REMARKS by Veaceslav Ionita, expert with the Viitorul think tank in Chisnau, Moldova
The EU granted Moldova official candidate status in June 2022. This means the country must meet the standards set in 35 "chapters" on topics such as freedom of movement for workers, intellectual property laws, food safety, taxation, justice, freedom and security.
It's a process that can take decades.
Complicating EU accession for Moldova is the region of Transnistria, a geopolitical oddity that consists of a small strip of land at the eastern shore of the Dniester river.
After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Moldova's independence, Transnistrians didn't want to join Moldova and fought a bloody war to remain autonomous. The region has been guarded by a contingent of Russian soldiers ever since.
"We didn't pay enough attention to Transnistria," says Ionita, adding that 80 percent of goods produced in the territory are sold either in the EU or in other parts of Moldova.
Despite this, no serious efforts were made to reunite the region with the rest of Moldova.
"I think it's our mistake. We did not cooperate enough with local companies in Transnistria, with students," he says. "We need to see how we can use European money to develop infrastructure in Transnistria."
Possible invasion?
Ionita downplays fears that armed Russia could use Transnistria as a steppingstone for a possible Moldovan invasion.
"They have the instruments, but Transnistria is very small and isolated. I'm confident that it is not possible to do anything like they did in Ukraine."
Still, Moldova's army is weak and few investments in the military have been made since the country's independence.
"We spend 0.4, 0.5 percent of our GDP on the military, which is a critically low level," says Ionita.
France steps in
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU and Nato interest in Moldova has rapidly grown.
At the 2022 Nato summit in Madrid, members agreed a package of "tailored support measures" to help Moldova "strengthen its national resilience and civil preparedness".
Last month French Armed Forces Minister Sebastian Lecornu became the first French defence minister to visit Chisinau.
He reaffirmed France's support for Moldova and helping the country's air defences with a Ground Master 200 medium-range radar system, manufactured by the French company Thales.
According to the aviation portal Aerotime Hub, the system is designed to detect low- to high-altitude air targets, including missiles, artillery rounds and drones.
"We're seeing more and more French involvement in Moldova," says Ionita. "It is very positive for Moldova at this critical time."
