Thank you for hosting us here in the beautiful city of Chișinău, it is wonderful to be back here again. 12 months ago, we have opened accession talks. 9 months ago, we agreed on the Growth Plan for Moldova. And 8 months ago, the people of Moldova have enshrined their European future in Moldova's constitution. What a testament to Moldova's and our unwavering commitment. That same commitment, dear Maia Moldova is constantly proving in making progress in the accession process. This is why the Commission recommended to the Council, that Moldova is ready to open the fundamentals cluster. And we look forward to opening all clusters of Moldova's accession talks, as soon as possible.
Meanwhile we are working very closely together. You have shown true solidarity. I think of how you welcomed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, as turmoil broke out beyond your borders. Or how you rapidly deployed your firefighters alongside ours in key high-risk areas during the summer months last year. And being a Member of the EU is exactly this. It is first and foremost about solidarity and protection. The European Union will protect Moldova's freedom, democracy, identity and security.
You have shown that Moldova is also a reliable security partner. We have signed a Security & Defence partnership. We are also committed to protecting you against the hybrid attacks and energy shocks that your country has been victim of. Who is behind those attacks is clear to all of us here. These are the same agents of autocracy trying to undermine our democracies everywhere in Europe. And we will show. We will show them the power of democracies. We are connecting Moldova with our EU electricity market, for stable flows. No more blackmail.
On top of our civilian mission, we are now supporting the Centre of Strategic Communications. It is working to detect the Kremlin's lies as soon as they start spreading, and to debunk them. We have also launched a strategic group with experts from the civil society. They are trained to spot these lies and establish the truth, the facts, the figures about Moldova and the EU. Third, we cannot wait to welcome you in our Union. This is why, in parallel to accession talks, we are already bringing your economy closer to ours.
Today, I can announce the release of the first EUR 270 million under the Moldova Growth Plan. You have delivered on reforms – and so we deliver on promised support. And with an overall envelope of EUR 1.9 billion, more will come. This will support your competitiveness and bring concrete benefits to your people. Then by October your integration into the Single Euro Payments Area will be complete. We call it SEPA. That means faster, cheaper, and safer transfers of euro – and that is more opportunities for your businesses and for your people.
And finally, we will end all roaming charges between us. From our experience in the European Union, it is a great way to connect people and businesses.
Dear Maia, let me once again tell you how much we in Europe admire you and your fight for democracy. Like all strong families, we stand by each other when it matters most. Moldova's place is with us — in our European family. And you said it beautifully; the European Union is already here. It is in the minds and hearts of the people.
