After the Moldovan, Georgian, and Ukrainian parliaments recently wrote to the European Parliament obtain guidance on the timeline for EU membership, it seems Brussels has some simple advice for the former Soviet republics–reform first.
“The three have signed association agreements with the EU, but it is unclear when and if they will join the bloc. Moldova wants to ask for EU membership next year, but needs to reform its justice system and eradicate endemic corruption,” reports AP.
The three nations have strong memories of life under the Soviet Union and as tensions with Russia grow more tense, they see the European Union as the best protection against a repeat of Soviet domination.
With America looking inward to fix system financial and governmental problems, Soviet periphery nations to Russia are looking to Brussels for support as well as Washington.
