Austrian foreign minister: “We want to bring Moldova closer to the EU”

“We want to bring Moldova closer to the European Union and support it on this path,” Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Spindelegger said in a meeting with Moldovan Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca in Vienna on February 9, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting Moldovan Foreign Ministry's press office. The officials talked about the bilateral relations and possibilities of developing them and about Moldova's participation in the Eastern Partnership, which could bring additional investments to Moldova, as the Austrian minister considers. The two ministers agreed to cooperate in implementing internal reforms. Michael Spindelegger stressed the Moldovan and Austrian Foreign Ministries established good cooperation relations and said Austria is ready to encourage cooperation between the Finance Ministries. Iurie Leanca suggested opening an Austrian embassy in Chisinau and voiced hope that Michael Spindelegger's visit to Moldova scheduled for April will give a new impetus to the bilateral relations between the two countries. While in Austria, Iurie Leanca, accompanied by Nicu Popescu, senior state adviser on foreign policy and European integration matters of the Moldova Prime Minister, met with representatives of the Moldovan community. The Moldovan official encouraged them to maintain a constant dialogue with Moldova's embassy in Vienna and to establish relationships with the associations of Moldovans living in other countries.