The Democratic Party (PDM) says that Moldova’s European integration is an absolute priority in its political strategy. At a news conference on Friday, the former Speaker and the top candidate on the party’s list Marian Lupu said that if the PDM comes to power it will prove it by deeds not slogans and statements as it happened during the last few years, Info-Prim Neo reports. The PDM pleads for stronger relations with the EU and obtaining of concessions as regards the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital. Among the party’s major objectives are the abolition of the visa regime with Romania, as soon as possible, and the signing of the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement between Moldova and the EU, Marian Lupu said. “We will also use the opportunities offered under the EU’s Eastern Partnership in which Moldova could become a success story, and the opportunities that could ensure the country’s energy security trough the EU’s instruments,” he stated. As to the relations with the neighboring countries, the PDM says that the existent animosities should be overcome and there should be developed privileged relations with the two states – Ukraine and Romania – on the basis of the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect, mutually advantageous cooperation and non-interference in the internal affairs. The unconditional cancellation of the visa regime for Romanian travelers is one of the priorities. “The promotion of a cooperation and good-neighborhood policy with the neighbors is an elementary norm of behavior for an European state, which has been fully ignored in the relations with Ukraine and Romania over the last few years, to the detriment of the national interests and the interests of our people,” it is said in a communiqué distributed among the participants in the conference. Marian Lupu stressed the necessity of developing cooperation and partnership relations with Russia, both at bilateral level and at the talks in the 5+2 format so as to identify an acceptable and viable solution to the Transnistrian conflict, by respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova. The PDM considers that the security-related stereotypes and preoccupations in the relations with Russia can be dealt with in a civilized way, by harmonizing the national interests, including the strengthening of the constitutional status of permanent neutrality, non-joining of military blocs and non-admission of foreign military presence on Moldova’s territory,” the communiqué says. At the same news conference, Marian Lupu accused the Party of Communists (PCRM) of trying to hinder the holding of a meeting with voters in Balti. “In Balti town, the PCRM dispatched groups of well-built men, who tried to block access to Vasile Alecsandri Theater, where the meeting was to take place. Many of those men were under the influence. Some of them were former criminals. Things were close to degenerate into violence,” Lupu said. The police did not intervene to remedy the situation, which shows that they do not fulfill their duties. However, the meeting with Balti voters took place, the politician said. Asked about his visit to France, Lupu said that he had met a number of European officials and asked them to set up a group of ministers to consider possibilities of offering financial support to Moldova as part of an anti-crisis program.