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Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, stated, on Wednesday, during a speech held at the Swedish Institute of International Relations in Stockholm on the Romanian perspective on the eastern borders of the EU and NATO, that the procedures for accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union must be accelerated, emphasizing the fact that Moldova and Ukraine "will not find peace unless they are part of the European family."
Her Majesty Margareta, together with Prince Radu, had, on Wednesday, a meeting with Jakob Hallgren, director of the Swedish Institute of International Relations, and Nicholas Aylott, director of the institute's European studies program, analysts and experts on security issues and members of the diplomatic corps.
During the speech, Her Majesty Margareta congratulated Sweden for the current presidency of the Council of the European Union, for the clear sense of priorities and the efficient management of the European Union's affairs, at a time when the continent could not be more turbulent and when the dangers it faces they couldn't be more pressing.
"The objective that I have assumed now, both with the support of the Government of Romania and with the support of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, is to be sure, simply, that the Republic of Moldova is not consumed by the tragedy that is now affecting Ukraine; that its reformist government is supported in achieving its goal and that the citizens of Moldova are allowed to decide their own future instead of having their future decided by others. I welcome the European Union's decision last year to grant Moldova candidate status. (...) I feel obliged to add that we need to be aware of the urgency in supporting the Republic of Moldova. Having accepted the Republic of Moldova as a candidate country, the EU should begin as soon as possible to identify the objectives on which the government of the Republic of Moldova must focus in order to to hasten its accession to the EU," said the Custodian of the Crown.
Her Majesty Margareta specified that, as the tragic example of Ukraine fully shows, the alternative of not taking advantage of the opportunity of European integration would mean a much more expensive and desperate integration effort at a later stage, after the end of the war in Ukraine.
During the visit that the Royal Family of Romania is making this week to Sweden, Her Majesty Margareta and Prince Radu will meet, on Wednesday afternoon, with the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland, Liliana Gutan. AGERPRES
