The European Union and Moldova officially launched their first accession negotiation topic.

On the 15th, the Council of the European Union announced that the EU and Moldova had formally started negotiations on the "basic principles" topic for Moldova's accession to the EU negotiation process. The announcement stated that the "basic principles" topic covers key elements related to the rule of law and basic rights, the functioning of democratic systems, public administration reform, and economic standards within the EU legal system. It pointed out that the "basic principles" topic is the core issue that is the first to start and the last to end in the accession negotiation process, and its progress will determine the pace of the entire negotiation process. During the negotiations, the EU will continue to assess Moldova's progress in aligning with the EU legal system and implementing related standards.