The Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset, has started his two-day official visit to Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, the first since taking office. The goal is to reiterate the Council of Europe's commitment to strengthening co-operation with the country, including in the framework of the Action Plan for 2025-2028 that has been officially launched in Chisinau today at an event with the participation of the President Maia Sandu.
"The Council of Europe stands with the Republic of Moldova as it continues to pursue its European aspirations," said Secretary General at the official launch event. "The Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova provides a clear roadmap for the next four years, guiding the country towards a stronger European future-one reform at a time."
The reforms carried out by the Republic of Moldova with the Council of Europe's support cover such areas as the justice system, electoral practices, media freedom and promoting equality.
Speaking at the launch event, President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu said: "The Action Plan is all the more important given that democracy in our country is faced with unprecedented threats. We are the target of a hybrid campaign from the Kremlin, which, through cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and electoral corruption on an unprecedented scale, seeks to undermine our right to choose our own future. We count on the support of the Council of Europe in countering these threats to democracy."
The agenda of the Secretary General's visit to the Republic of Moldova includes meetings with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, Speaker of Parliament Igor Grosu, Presidents of the Constitutional Court Domnica Manole, Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, as well as with representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy, Supreme Court of Justice, and the civil society. On 13 February, the Secretary General will also engage with students from the State University in a discussion under the theme" Disinformation - a Threat to European Democracy".
The Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025-2028 officially launched today is the fourth Council of Europe plan for the country since 2013; its overall budget is estimated at €30 million. It was drawn-up together with the country's national authorities and civil society organisations and adopted by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers last November. The Plan aims to help the country in implementing ambitious reforms that are key for its European Union accession. The Republic of Moldova was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, and the Negotiation Framework was adopted in 2024. The new areas opened by the current Action Pan include the fight against trafficking in human beings, the prevention of drug use and addictions, as well as increased involvement of civil society and youth participation in democratic decision making. The Action Plan will also help the national authorities to address the challenges posed by regional and global crises and to counter the effects of the ongoing war of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
