More than 1,600 Moldovan students who study in Iasi and several thousands of persons living in the border area will be able to use the services of Moldova’s Consulate General that was inaugurated in Iasi on October 8, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca said the inauguration of Moldova’s Consulate General in Iasi and the opening of Romanian’s consulates in Balti and Cahul in July represent the new spirit established in the relations between Chisinau and Bucharest, which is a European pragmatic spirit that promotes the interests of the people of the two countries and of the people living in the region. “I want to believe that the consular services that will be provided and are provided on both banks of the Prut will be of a high quality and I hope this consulate will be an additional communication and cooperation channel for the central and local authorities,” Iurie Leanca said. For his part, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Bakonski stressed that he still has those feelings experienced at the meeting of the group of Moldova’s friends, which took place in Chisinau at the end of September and where the 24 EU foreign ministers confirmed that the EU will further support Moldova. The two diplomats said a Romanian consulate will be also opened in Ungheni. The building that will house it will be provided by the Moldovan Foreign Ministry, as the Romanian authorities provided a head office for the consulate in Iasi. The students who study in Iasi said they will now easier solve a number of consular problems, which earlier implied additional costs and time. They will be able to validate new identification papers in case they are stolen or lost and to take part in elections. Moldova’s Consul in Iasi Cezara Ghetu said the consulate will issue small-scale traffic permits and travel permits to persons who lost the identification papers, and will validate powers of attorney. The consulate will start work on October 11. Cezara Ghetu is a diplomat working with Moldova’s Foreign Ministry since 2001.