Moldovan president begins push to join EU amid strains with Russia
Moldova's president has launched a campaign to champion an upcoming referendum on the former Soviet state's push to join the European Union.
Having applied for EU membership in 2022, Moldova received a draft framework for accession negotiations in March, along with neighbouring Ukraine.
It comes after Russia operated polling stations for its presidential election inside the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, despite protests from Chisinau.
As relations with Russia become strained over the invasion of Ukraine, President Maia Sandu said the country has the "necessary political will" to be part of the EU.
The referendum would vote on enshrining Moldova's EU ambitions in the constitution ensuring that the bid is not derailed by future governments.
"This must be reconfirmed and written in the constitution, so that whoever is in government, the voice of the people for this direction of development should be mandatory for the political class," she added.
The referendum could take place in October, she said, though parliament would choose the date.
It is not yet clear whether the constitutional court would allow the referendum to fall on the same day as the presidential elections, which are set for late 2024.
