The European Parliament will soon designate a rapporteur who will assess how prepared Moldova is for the abolition of the visa regime with the EU, the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Vlad Filat said in the debate “Moldovan society and the political class after Vilnius: between cooperation and confrontation”, staged by IPN News Agency.
The politician stated that after the Vilnius EaP Summit, where Moldova initialed the Association Agreement, there will be set a definite term for abolishing the visa requirements. “As to the liberalization of the visa regime, Moldova fulfilled all the conditions. The plan of action was fully implemented. The European Commission carried out a number of assessments and made recommendations to the European Council, which, for its part, will pronounce on the issue and the European Parliament will take a decision,” said Vlad Filat.
The President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said he was in favor of liberalizing the visa regime for Moldovans and informed that the Council will soon make an appraisal and will send a rapporteur to Moldova. “We will have to work more responsibly and to be more determined in certain actions. My deadline for the abolition of the visa regime is the end of next May. Otherwise, we will enter a new mandate of the European Parliament and the term will shift to the second half of next year,” added Vlad Filat.
The journalists asked him about the risk for the cases of corruption in institutions that issue documents to the Moldovans to increase in number and for foreigners to receive nationality illegally after Moldova obtains the liberalized visa regime with the EU. “The law stipulates the conditions in which on can become citizen of Moldova. They are not so easy, while the nationality is granted by presidential decree. Believe me that it is not at all easy, or it is practically impossible to offer nationality to a large number of people,” said the politician.
The chairman of the PLDM said that in its relations with the EU, Moldova pledged to secure the border and this is an essential commitment. Moldova already forms part of the system concerning the security of the borders with the EU. “It is important that the Moldovans no longer queue up for visas or for other nationalities, but travel freely in the EU,” stated Vlad Filat.
The public debate “Moldovan society and the political class after Vilnius: between cooperation and confrontation” is the 24th of the series “Development of political culture by public debates”. The IPN project is supported by the German foundation “Hanns Seidel”.
