Romania is calling for the European Union to swiftly accept Moldova's membership bid to discourage Russia from annexing the breakaway Transdniester region.



On March 17, separatists in mainly Russian-speaking Transdniester asked to join Russia. Romanian



On March 19, Romanian President Traian Basescu urged measures to prevent a scenario similar to Russia's annexation of Crimea from occurring in Moldova.



Speaking in Bucharest alongside his Moldovan counterpart, Nicolae Timofti, Basescu said granting Moldova an EU membership perspective would help ensure the country's security.



In November, Moldova and Georgia initialed association and free trade deals with the EU, and those pacts are expected to be signed in September.



Transdniester, a thin strip of land between Moldova and western Ukraine, declared independence in 1990 over fears that Moldova would reunite with neighboring Romania.



Its independence is not internationally recognized.



Based on reporting by dpa and hotnews.ro