In a joint statement, Tusk and the leaders of France, Italy, Romania and Britain, joined by the head of the European Council and the European Commission chief, said they met with Moldova's President Maia Sandu on the sidelines of the summit of the European Political Community in Budapest on November 7 to reiterate their unwavering support to Moldova.
"We commend the people of Moldova for its commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law as demonstrated by the successful organization of free and fair presidential elections, that have seen President Maia Sandu be reelected for a second term with a high level of turnout," the leaders said in their statement.
"We also welcome the result of the referendum enshrining EU accession in Moldova’s fundamental law," they added.
They declared: "We stand united with Moldova in its pursuit of peace, prosperity and stability, and reaffirm its rightful place within a free and democratic Europe."
The statement said that "these achievements have taken place despite unprecedented assaults and foreign interferences aiming at undermining the integrity of the electoral process and Moldova’s democratic institutions."
The politicians--Poland's Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel--strongly condemned "documented attempts at altering election results through manipulation of information campaigns, corruption and vote buying schemes."
They welcomed "Moldova’s success in thwarting Russian destabilization efforts" and vowed to "continue to support its resilience."
"We reaffirm our collective determination to support Moldova in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with its Constitution," the leaders concluded.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda last Monday congratulated Sandu on winning a second term as president of Moldova.
Sandu, a pro-Western politician, has claimed victory in the country's closely contested presidential election, defeating her pro-Russian rival Alexandr Stoianoglo in the second round on Sunday, news outlets reported.
The Polish prime minister said on X at the time: "Despite Russia's aggressive and extensive interference in the Moldovan presidential elections, Maia Sandu has most likely defeated Moscow's preferred candidate. Let's hope this trend continues in the coming days and months in other countries as well."
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl