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world news Diabierna 24 Juni 2022

Moldova, tiny, poor and bordering Ukraine, gets EU candidacy

(AP) — The European Union more prosperity, more opportuni-
announced Thursday that it has ties and more order in their country,”
granted EU candidate status to Sandu wrote online after the EU de-
Moldova, a poor non-NATO cision.
Eastern European country bor-
dering war-torn Ukraine, which “We have a difficult road ahead,
likely won’t enjoy the perks of which will require a lot of work and
full bloc membership for years to effort — and which we are prepared
come. to walk, together, to ensure a better
future for citizens,” she added. “Mol-
Along the road, Moldova will need to dova has a future in the European
enact reforms in areas such as tack- Union.”
ling corruption, organized crime,
strengthening human rights and the In an article this week in various me-
rule of law. The former Soviet repub- dia outlets, Sandu described Mol-
lic — landlocked between Romania dova, Europe’s poorest country with
and Ukraine — applied to join the a population of about 2.6 million
27-nation bloc just days after Russia people, as “a European land caught in
invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. geopolitical battles.”

Charles Michel, the European Coun- “The ruthless and meaningless war civil war in 1992.
cil President and EU summit chair, against Ukraine reminds us that Dionis Cenusa, an analyst at the Chi-
tweeted the decision to give both peace and freedom are no longer a Joining the EU would not offer sinau-based think tank Expert Group,
Moldova and Ukraine candidate sta- given,” Sandu wrote, adding that Moldova, which is constitutionally says that although it is “premature to
tus, calling it a “historic moment” Moldova’s bid to join the EU comes neutral, any security guarantees like speak of accession,” candidate status
that “marks a crucial step on your from “a strong desire to remain part NATO membership would. for Moldova can provide “an overall
path towards the EU.” of the free world.” direction for the long-term develop-
The Commission said it will monitor ment of the country.”
Since gaining independence in 1991, In April, tensions in the country Moldova’s progress in meeting the
Moldova has been blighted by ram- soared following a string of explo- set-out criteria, and come up with a “The EU candidacy may be used by
pant corruption and powerful oli- sions in Transnistria — a Russia- “detailed assessment” by the end of the government to calm the popula-
garchs. It’s often perceived as being backed separatist region of Moldo- 2022. tion and the business (community)
stuck in limbo between pro-Russian va where Russia bases about 1,500 in the context of the security crisis
forces and those, like pro-Western troops — and raised fears that it could The EU is Moldova’s largest trading caused by the Russian war against
President Maia Sandu, that look to get dragged into the war. partner and biggest investor. In 2020, Ukraine,” he told The Associated
forge closer ties with the West. about two-thirds of Moldova’s ex- Press. “The reforms in Moldova will
Transnistria has a population of about ports went to the EU and more than depend on the professionalism of the
“We are starting on the road to the 470,000 and has been under the con- half of its total trade was with the government, as well as the develop-
EU, which will bring Moldovans trol of separatist authorities since a bloc. ments in Ukraine.”

Afghans bury dead, dig for survivors of devastating quake

(AP) — Villagers rushed deal with the aftermath dug several long trenches on spent the previous rainy nothing, not even a tent to
to bury the dead Thursday as their new Taliban-led a mountainside overlooking night out in the open lifted live in.”
and dug by hand through government and the inter- their village. They prayed pieces of timber of collapsed
the rubble of their homes national aid community over around 100 bodies roofs and pulled away stones The scenes underscored how
in search of survivors of struggled to bring in help. wrapped in blankets and then by hand, looking for missing the magnitude 6 quake has
a powerful earthquake buried them. loved ones. Taliban fighters struck a country that was
in eastern Afghanistan Under a leaden sky in Pak- circulated in vehicles in the already nearly on its knees
that state media report- tika province, the epicenter In villages across Gayan Dis- area, but only a few were seen from multiple humanitarian
ed killed 1,000 people. of Wednesday’s earthquake trict, toured by Associated helping dig through rubble. crises.
Residents appeared to be where hundreds of homes Press journalists for hours
largely on their own to have been destroyed, men Thursday, families who had There was little sign of heavy The quake took the lives of
equipment — only one bull- 1,000 people, according to
dozer was spotted being the state-run Bakhtar News
transported. Ambulances cir- Agency, which also reported
culated, but little other help an estimated 1,500 more
to the living was evident. were injured. In the first in-
dependent count, the United
Many international aid agen- Nations Office for the Co-
cies withdrew from Afghani- ordination of Humanitarian
stan when the Taliban seized Affairs said around 770 peo-
power nearly 10 months ago. ple had been killed in Paktika
Those that remain are scram- and neighboring Khost prov-
bling to get medical supplies, ince.
food and tents to the re-
mote quake-struck area, us- It’s not clear how the totals
ing shoddy mountain roads were arrived at, given the
made worse by damage and difficulties of accessing and
rains. communicating with the af-
fected villages. Either grim
“We ask from the Islamic toll would make the quake
Emirate and the whole coun- Afghanistan’s deadliest in
try to come forward and help two decades, and officials
us,” said a survivor who gave continued to warn the num-
his name as Hakimullah. “We ber could still rise.
are with nothing and have