Moldovan authorities hope for association agreement with EU
Moldovan authorities hope for association agreement with EU
26 Oct 2009
Moldova.MD
Both Moldova and the European Union saw many benefits following the implementation of the Moldova-EU Action Plan, among which intensification of political dialogue, social and economic development, achievements in border cooperation, evolutions in the sectors of transport, communications, energy, inter-human relations, etc.
Moldovan Deputy Foreign and European Integration Minister Natalia Gherman and the European Commission's acting director for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia, Gunnar Wiegand, made statements to this effect at the end of the tenth meeting of the Moldova-EU cooperation committee.
Gherman said that the participants in the meeting established a string of specific actions meant to improve the situation in Moldova and to receive assistance from the European community.
The sides also reiterated their intention to sign a Moldova-EU association agreement and to launch talks on the liberalization of the EU visa regime for Moldova and on a free trade agreement.
For his part, Gunnar Wiegand said that "we are moving forward" in key sectors of the Moldova-EU cooperation, with European standards having been implemented in various sectors. Nonetheless, he underlined that Moldova still has many drawbacks in the sector of human rights and enforcement of European values. The EU will promote programmes to support democracy, particularly in terms of reform of the Moldovan police and development of pluralism in the media, Gunnar Wiegand said.
Referring to a new agreement that is to be negotiated with the EU, the European official said that "there is much work to be done". "The closer you are to us, the more reforms will be carried out," Wiegand said.
Reference: www.moldova.md
