Border Treaty is not ready for signing, Romanian head of state

“The joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Moldova and Romania for Moldova's European integration is a modern expression of the first basic treaties. There is only one problem – the document is signed in two originals that are both in Romanian,” the President of Romania Traian Basescu said in a news conference held jointly with Moldova's Acting President Mihai Ghimpu in Bucharest on April 27, Info-Prim Neo's correspondent in Bucharest report. According to the two heads of state, the statement is very important from political viewpoint as it contains the commitments of the parties as regards the path that will be followed by Moldova and the support that will be provided by Romania. “The road to the European Union does not go against the constitutional neutrality of Moldova,” Traian Basescu said. Asked about the fate of the Border Treaty, Basescu said that the document is not yet ready for signing. “The changes that took place in Moldova on July 29, 2009 led to the reestablishment of the good relations between the two countries,” said Mihai Ghimpu. Besides the joint statement on the strategic partnership for Moldova's European integration, there was signed an agreement on the implementation of the technical and financial assistance program with the €100 million grant provided by Romania as well as agreements between the ministries of construction, the environment, social protection and education. Speaking about the results achieved after the Romanian President's visit to Chisinau in January, Traian Basescu and Mihai Ghimpu mentioned the removal of the barbed wire fence, the opening of the Radauti- Lipcani bridge, the opening of five local offices of the National Citizenship Agency in Romania and the adoption and coming into force of the Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic The Romanian head of state said that 2,000 border traffic permits have been issued so far. Traian Basescu also said that Romania will consider the possibility of issuing the Moldovan citizens with visas for a period longer than five years, as Mihai Ghimpu asked, and of reducing the sum of €500 that the applicants must own to get visas. Mihai Ghimpu stressed that the Romanian TV channel TVR may be retransmitted in Chisinau from autumn, adding that the radio station Radio Romania could be launched in Moldova. Moldova's Caretaker President is in Romania on an official two-day visit. From Bucharest, Mihai Ghimpu and the delegation that accompanies him will leave for Suceava and Iasi.