The Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, which forms part of the first, remain the foundation of the cooperation between Moldova and the EU. These documents were signed voluntarily after an agreement was reached on the common reformation progress and on financing measures, the Ambassador of Germany to Moldova Angela Ganninger stated in an interview given on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Reunification of the Federal Republic of Germany that is celebrated on October 3, IPN reports.
According to the diplomat, Germany wants to lay special emphasis in the Eastern Partnership, which includes Moldova, during its presidency of the Council of the European Union (July 1 – December 31, 2020), having three large projects on its agenda. The first was a project to organize a civil society youth forum that was already held in September. It could not take place in Dresda, as it was planned, but it was organized in a digital format. The second planned project is a meeting of environment ministers of the EU with counterparts from the Eastern Partnership because the climate change and the environment remain important. The third element is a forum of entrepreneurs that is to take place in Düsseldorf in November. The conception was slightly modified owing to the crisis, but they hope this will yet take place with physical presence so that the entrepreneurs could establish mutual contacts, this being the goal of the forum.
The ambassador noted that during the crisis caused by COVID-19, the EU proposed additional assistance – over €100 million in macro-financial support that can be disbursed in two tranches. €87 million is provided as immediate assistance, but there is also a package for the whole Eastern Partnership in the amount of €140 million. This money will be used to support the small and medium-sized enterprises that were seriously affected by the crisis.
Angela Ganninger said the motto of the German presidency in the EU is “Together for Europe’s recovery”. This refers first of all to the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus that started unexpectedly for everyone, several months before Germany took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, but which influenced essentially Germany’s cooperation and agenda.
In July, under the German presidency, there was held a meeting of the heads of state and government that lasted for five days. This is unusually long. The meeting ended with an agreement on a financial framework for a fund that is to ensure economic reinvigoration after the crisis. The fund was created in the context of the EU’s multiannual framework that, for its part represents a seven-year budget with financing priorities for the whole period. This is to be divided into annual budgets. There was worked out a large package that hasn’t been yet adopted. The European Parliament is to analyze it and to pronounce on it.
While holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Germany plans to also discuss other problems than those related to the crisis. “Our goal is for Europe to come out of the crisis more powerful, more sustainable and more balanced, with the current major transformation processes, such as climate change and digitization, being taken into account within this reconstruction. We managed to find a balance and are on the way to a new modernization of the economy and of the Union on the whole,” stated Angela Ganninger.
The ambassador also transmitted a message on the occasion of the presidential elections that will take place in Moldova on November 1. She voiced hope that the elections will be free, fair and equitable and equitable access will be ensured to the media so that the candidates could present themselves appropriately and the people’s real wish ultimately finds an expression in the election results.
