At the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit of November 29, 2013, Moldova will enter a new stage of relations with the European Union. What will it bring and how will it influence the life of the Moldovans from the country and from abroad? What will each of us gain and what should we do for this benefit to become possible? How will the new conditions affect Moldova’s relations with other countries? The IPN Agency aims to look for answers to these and other questions worrying society, together with you, within the series of articles “Association with the EU to everyone’s understanding”.
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The political association between Moldova and the EU means a much more intense political and institutional dialogue, greater solidarity than now, much closer coordination of the foreign policy positions both at regional and international levels. We will thus witness a political dialogue of a much better quality, said Victor Chirila, executive director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE).
At practical level, the political association will mean the adjustment of the current institutional framework of the Moldovan-European partnership. After the signing of the Association Agreement, the EU – Moldova Cooperation Council, the EU – Moldova Cooperation Committee and the EU – Moldova Parliamentary Committee will be replaced by the EU – Moldova Association Council at the level of ministers and European commissioners, the EU – Moldova Association Committee at the level of high-ranking officials and the EU – Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee.
“Undoubtedly, the Association Agreement will bring new forms of dialogue and consultations at regional and international levels, including on the occasion of regional and international conferences, between the Eastern Partnership and European Union member states. The Association Agreement does not yet enable Moldova to take part in the EU supranational institutions,” stated the APE director.
He also said that after the initialing of the agreement, there will be much closer coordination of Moldova’s positions on foreign policy issues with the EU member states. Moldova will more often support the EU’s stances on foreign policy, regional or international problems.
If considering the expectations of the ordinary people, the association with the EU opens new opportunities for strengthening the economic cooperation by creating the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. It is the end of the spear of an efficient policy on Moldova’s economic integration into the European common market. The ordinary people’s duty is to judge and support the politicians who speak about and promise the European integration by deeds not empty words, said Victor Chirila.
Director of the European Institute for Political Studies in Moldova Viorel Cibotaru said the political dialogue, in its broad meaning, means different forms of assistance offered to Moldova in the process of building up stability and the state institutions. To everyone’s understanding, the Association Agreement means that Moldova pledges to align itself with a common foreign policy. Moldova will yet enter the European bodies at the next stage of the European integration, when we negotiate the Treaty of Accession with the EU.
Irina Ţurcanu, IPN
