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Lithuania welcomes the professional and impartial conduct of the Second round of the Presidential elections of the Republic of Moldova on 3 November 2024.

We note the peaceful and competitive nature of the electoral campaign, as well as the good organisational work and professionalism of the Central Electoral Commission, as witnessed by the international observers.

Lithuania congratulates the incumbent President Maia Sandu on her re-election. We encourage President Sandu to continue and lead an inclusive national dialogue with all stakeholders across the Moldovan society. Moldova will need a broad consensus to successfully confront numerous security challenges and implement the ambitious reform agenda it has embraced as part of its EU integration path.

Lithuania repeatedly points to the unprecedented malign interference by Russia into Moldova’s Presidential elections and internal affairs. Such interference is unacceptable and must be prevented, as any other attack on democracy.

In particular, we condemn the systematic large-scale buying of votes, as well as other forms of interference like organized transportation of Moldovan citizens from Russia to various voting stations abroad, which is prohibited by Moldovan laws and undermines the democratic process.

We note the extraordinary efforts by Moldovan institutions to counter these disruptive acts and secure the legitimacy and integrity of the elections, including the credibility of their final result.

Yet, Moldova’s law enforcement institutions must thoroughly investigate the Russian interference into Moldova’s electoral process, especially in view of the upcoming Parliamentary elections in 2025. We call on the EU institutions, EU Member States and other international partners to help Moldova in this endeavour and provide the Government of Moldova with all the necessary assistance, including technical, financial, and practical assistance, including through new restrictive measures against the organizers, perpetrators and collaborators of the election fraud.

Lithuania stands ready to further support the Republic of Moldova on its EU accession path. We believe that a full-fledged EU membership is the only way forward to strengthen and transform Moldova’s security and resilience, rule of law, economic growth and prosperity.

Lithuania, along with its international partners, will continue supporting Moldova’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.