German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock confirmed the commitment of Germany to support Moldova in its quest for membership in the European Union, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Moldova is preparing for presidential elections and a referendum on EU membership, which will be held on Sunday.
"The people of Moldova decide their future. I am convinced that this future really lies in Europe," Berbock stated.
She identified the elections and the referendum as key events for the small country located between Ukraine and Romania. Voters will decide whether the goal of joining the EU should be written into the constitution.
Pro-European President Maia Sandu is running for a second term, seeking to enshrine Moldova's bid to join the EU in the constitution. However, there are strong pro-Russian forces in the country of around 2.5 million people, making the election a critical moment for Moldova's future.
Berbok criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the election, saying that "Putin's Russia is attacking European elections through hybrid methods: targeted influence, cyberattacks and disinformation spread by its bot army on social media."
Moldova is successfully countering these threats with the help of the partnership platform, which the German government launched together with other partners just 40 days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Berbok added.