President Maia Sandu, elected in 2020 on a pro-European and anti-corruption platform, expressed hopes that crisis-hit Moldova would join the European Union before 2030, writes the Reuters.

“My wishes are very ambitious”, - Sandu said in remarks carried on the Moldova-1 public television channel. “I think we must become a member of the European Union by the end of this decade”.

The EU accepted Moldova as a membership candidate in June, when it extended the same status to neighboring Ukraine. It was a diplomatic triumph for Sandu, whose country is one of Europe’s poorest and facing numerous economic struggles.