Low Countries back Moldova for visa liberalisation, signing Association Agreement
A joint declaration made public within a visit by the Low Countries’ foreign ministers says that “the EU ministers welcome the progress made by Moldova to observe the commitments of the European agenda.” In this context, Moldova is backed to initial the Association Agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit, due in Vilnius in next November and sign it in 2014, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.
This was the focus of a news conference held by the three European officials and Foreign and European Integration Minister Natalia Gherman. Participating in the event was also Prime Minister Iurie Leanca.
“We are here to support those who defend the European values,” the officials from the Low Countries said. They highlighted their appreciation for the progress achieved by Moldova to carry out the action plan on visa liberalisation for the Moldovan citizens.
For his part, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said the visit by the three ministers was extremely important, while taking into account that the Low Countries are EU founding states. The prime minister reconfirmed that Moldova’s objective is to implement as many reforms as possible at home, and the signing of the agreements with the EU does not run counter the relations with the states from the East. “We speak the same language both in Brussels and in Moscow,” Iurie Leanca stressed.
Also today, the prime minister had a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Low Countries at the government. The officials reviewed the reforms started in Moldova, tackled the bilateral ties, the goals for Vilnius, as well as what is going to happen following the next November Eastern Partnership Summit. Iurie Leanca reiterated the Moldovan government’s priorities: creating new jobs, combating corruption, and the European agenda. At the meeting with the prime ministers, the European officials said Moldova is regarded as a success story among the six countries of the Eastern Partnership.
Moldova is the first country of the Eastern Partnership to host a visit by the foreign ministers of the Low Countries in a trilateral format: Didier Reynders (Belgium), Frans Timmermans (the Netherlands) and Jean Asselborn (Luxembourg).
Source: moldpres.md
Tags: Association Agreement, EaP summit Vilnius, Eastern Partnership, EU, Moldova, Schengen, travel, visa free, visa free travel, visa liberalization