The Moldova-European Union Association Agreement, already ratified by Romania and Estonia, was ratified this week by Lithuania.

Latvia's parliament is expected to hold a ratification meeting this week while the German Bundestag will ratify it this autumn when MPs return from recess, AllMoldova.com reports.

"We highly appreciate the openness and support of the European Union's states, in order to achieve Moldova's European path, and are further interested in a greater number of EU member states to ratify the agreement with Moldova," Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Igor Corman said, according to AllMoldova.com.

The Association Agreement to EU was signed with Ukraine and Georgia in Brussels on June 27, with Moldova being the first Eastern Partnership to ratify.

The treaty, following ratification by the 28 member states, will enter into force on the first day of the second month after the date of submission of the last ratification instrument. Until that happens, the agreement will be partially and preliminarily implemented next month after procedures are completed by the EU and Moldova, AllMoldova.com reports.

Moldova's parliament ratified the agreement by uninominal vote at its July 2 plenary meeting, with 59 MPs voting for, four voting against 38 absent.