2014 is a crucial year for Moldova as it is to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union and to ratify it. For the purpose, the government will be making every effort to ensure political stability and to avoid the experience of Ukraine, which suspended the association with the EU on the last 100 meters and is now facing violent protests, staged by the pro-European opposition. The issue was discussed by invitees to the program “Moldova Live” on the public TV channel Moldova 1, IPN reports.
Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, former Prime Minister Vlad Filat said that Ukraine was ahead of Moldova in the negotiations with the EU. “The informing in Ukraine was better in this respect. The government and the opposition were more united. In our country things were different. We supported the European integration press when the Communists were in power. When they left, everything changed. We plead for the integration into the EU, while the Communists announced a boycott,” he stated.
The politician underlined that the Communist Party changes its options for electoral purposes. “One cannot urge the people to support the integration into the EU and then change the opinion overnight and lead the country to a union that does not exist. We assumed all the risks and adopted difficult laws. It is important that the people obtain rights and values, which are definite things,” added Vlad Filat.
Moldova also faces pressure as it cannot export wine to Russia and does not have a contract for the supply of natural gas. “We managed to resist as we didn’t tell lies. We asked that our option be respected. The Government has the necessary political support and experience to stand firm. We will ensure political stability. We are aware of the responsibility we bear. The moment is historical and decisive for our country. We ask everyone to leave the ambitions aside as we must overcome this stage and sign and ratify the agreement and obtain a liberalized visa regime for our people,” said Vlad Filat.
In the same program, political analyst Viorel Cibotaru said that Moldova now has very good relations with the administration of the EU and the member states. But it also didn’t lose Russia’s trust. “In Ukraine, President Victor Yanukovich was the most venerable as he was blackmailed. The question is whether our leaders resist the pressure exerted by Russia,” he stated.
He underlined that Moldova entered a very hard year, with many problems and temptations that must be overcome, and it now needs the cohesion of all the pro-European forces of the country, more than ever.
