Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic to be signed officially

The Moldovan and Romanian authorities initialed the agreement to sign the Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic. Moldova's Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca said the first permits allowing entering Romania visa free could be issued by this yearend. The parties are to agree on the number of Moldovan settlements that will benefit from the new conditions and to determine the area that will be covered by the convention – 30 or 50 kilometers of the border, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Moldovan citizens will not pay for the permits as the convention says that the tax for the permit is equal to the fee for a short-stay visa for Romania, which is now issued free of charge, Iurie Leanca said during a briefing on Tuesday. Initially, the convention said the permits for Moldovan citizens will be valid for 1 to 5 years, but during talks the parties agreed on a term of 2 to 5 years. “Though Brussels imposed certain conditions, the Romanian authorities showed flexibility and identified optimal solutions for the Moldovans,” the minister said. He also said that in order to facilitate the obtaining of permits, the Romanian authorities agreed to open consulates in Balti and Cahul in the near future. The issue of opening a Moldovan consulate in Iasi in the immediate future was also discussed. Iurie Leanca said the Romanian authorities are also ready to extend the initially agreed area of 30 kilometers and allow the Moldovans holding permits to travel visa free within the entire perimeter of Romanian state border. During the briefing, Iurie Leanca assured that the Moldovan authorities will take steps to secure the border and prevent smuggling. The talks over the signing of the Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic between experts of the Moldovan and Romanian foreign ministries were opened in Chisinau on Monday morning. The negotiations have been delayed for several years as the Moldovan Government was willing to sign the document only after the signing of the Border Treaty and the Basic Treaty. The Romanian authorities did not accept such an approach.