Lithuania has a strategic goal: the entry of Ukraine and Moldova into the EU

The accession of Moldova and Ukraine's accession to the EU by 2030 is the "strategic goal" of Vilnius. This was stated by the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda.

"Membership of Moldova and Ukraine in the EU no later than 2030 is a strategic goal of Lithuania… We have always advocated that the desired date is a very important element of the political process ... We are talking about a comprehensive accession date for both Moldova and others, primarily Montenegro, Albania and the countries of the Western Balkans. It seems to me that this is justified by real opportunities," he said at a press conference after a meeting with Moldovan President Maia Sandu.

By tradition, the Lithuanian President wished Sandu "to continue and accelerate the necessary reforms related to the EU, to make them irreversible, and the benefits from them tangible and understandable to society."

"If we could shorten this process even further and achieve membership earlier, we would only be happy, but I think the most important thing today is that all countries get equal opportunities together or that they are rewarded according to their merits, according to their efforts in implementing reforms, and all countries deserve to become EU members."," he added.

Recall, Moldova and Ukraine has been seeking EU membership for many years. However, to date, no clear guarantees from Brussels have been given to these countries. Moreover, even if the candidate country overcomes all the negotiating obstacles, the unanimous support of the current member states of the bloc is still required to join the EU. As is known, Hungary and a number of other countries of the association oppose Ukraine's membership in the EU.