Andrzej Duda made the declaration after a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu in Chisinau, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
Duda said that “Moldova has always been part of Europe.” He added that Poland had supported Moldova’s bid to obtain EU candidate status and eventually full membership “from the beginning.”
He told reporters that the Polish authorities were equally supportive of the European aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia, which he said also “historically and geographically” belonged to Europe.
He said “now is the time” for the EU "to say yes" to countries that “are determined to become members of the great European economic and civilisational community.”
Poland grants EUR 20 mln interest-free loan to Moldova
Duda announced that Poland would provide Moldova with an EUR 20 million interest-free loan as Chisinau grapples with the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising energy prices.
The Polish president praised Moldova’s “big heart” in welcoming refugees from war-torn Ukraine. He also promised to speak to EU officials about opening the bloc’s borders to Moldovan products, after "the eastern export markets" had been cut off by war.
Moldova’s Sande said that her country had admitted 360,000 refugees from Ukraine, adding: “Poland is hosting the biggest number of refugees. Poland and Moldova are housing the same amount of refugees, as a proportion of the total population.”
“We are fulfilling our obligation as good neighbours and as humans,” she said.
Monday was day 26 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Poland on Monday reported it had taken in more than 2.11 million refugees fleeing Russia's war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP