Moldovan president, European official broach reforms, EU integration

President Nicolae Timofti today met European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule in Prague, the presidential press service has reported.

The two officials discussed the situation in Moldova, including the regional challenges faced by the country. Timofti and Fule agreed that the current political stability in Moldova was important for further development of reforms agreed upon with European partners and for achieving concrete changes, favorable for citizens’ life.

Timofti underlined the Moldovan authorities’ will to continue implementing the reforms. He added that signing of the Association Agreement, including the Free Trade Area, between Moldova and the EU would give a new impetus to tendencies of strengthening democratic institutions and country’s economy.

The president thanked Fule for the decision by the EU and member countries to liberalize the visa regime for Moldovans starting from 28 April 2014. Timofti said the significant success carried out in the Moldova-EU dialogue empowered and motivated the citizens to believe even more in the European future of the country.

For his part, Fule said Moldova’s efforts to implement the European values made the country an important partner for the EU and a leading state within the Eastern Partnership. He congratulated Timofti on the occasion of getting of the visa free regime by Moldova, noting that the achievement tested the maturity of the country and its ability to win at international level.

In the context, Timofti and Fule approached the need to promote the European values with more insistence in the Moldovan society. Fule said that along with the implementation of the provisions of the Association Agreement, many of the anti-European myths, which were widespread in Moldova, would dispel.

The European official reiterated the EU support for Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He remarked that both citizens and companies from the country, including from the Transnistrian region, would benefit from the advantages of the European integration.

The event was held in Prague, the Czech Republic, where an anniversary summit of the Eastern Partnership is carried out during two days. This is an initiative launched 5 years ago by Sweden and Poland in Prague. click