If Moldova wants to become a member state of the European Union, it must change many things, starting with the work of the state institutions and ending with what the people think about the EU. In a meeting with students of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASEM), Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, who was in Chisinau on an official visit on February 20, said that a country must change in order to become an EU member, Info-Prim Neo reports. Latvia made the first steps on the path to European integration after it gained its independence. A decade of hard work followed until the state became a fully-fledged member of the EU in 2004. One year before entering the EU, Latvia held a referendum where the population was asked if they want the country to join the EU. Over 67% of the voters said ‘yes’. Valdis Dombrovskis said that before becoming an EU member state, the country must ensure the protection of human rights and of the rights of minorities, a powerful and competitive economy, and administrative changes. The European official also said that an active civil society is crucial in the European integration process. Answering students’ questions, Valdis Dombrovskis said the integration into EU means workplaces, a developed economy and good salaries. As regards the Transnistrian conflict, he said that Latvia is for the reunification of Moldova. After the meeting with students of the ASEM, the Latvian Premier took part in the opening of a photo exhibition themed “Our way to independence”, staged inside the Academy. The photos represent the Latvian people in the period when they fought for withdrawing from the USSR and obtaining independence. The exhibit was organized by the Embassy of Latvia.