Europarliamentarian Titus Corlatean: Moldova needs more European support in the wake of the political crisis in the region

Moldova needs more consistent European support in the wake of the political crisis in the region, says Europarliamentarian Titus Corlatean, a member of the Delegation of the European Parliament (EP) for relations with Moldova. Corlatean has told Info-Prim Neo he has encouraged the EU French presidency to be more present in the assistance programs with Moldova in areas mattering for the democratic standards, which are appreciated by Brussels as critical, so far. Titus Corlatean addressed the French Justice Minister, Rachida Dati, on Tuesday, September 8, at the legal committee of the EP, the first deputy chairman of which he is. “I have reiterated the idea that I said in Paris in June, at the first meeting of the EP's legal committee with the French justice minister. As said that, for Romania, and for the EU, Moldova's passing into the list of political priorities should gradually become a priority,” the MP said. According to the Europarliamentarian, in practice it means much closer cooperation programs to stimulate a more clear orientation and not only rhetorics on behalf of the Chisinau authorities as to the possible European integration. “I suggested concrete programs that the French presidency can implement with Moldova, for example in training judges, insuring the prosecutors' independence, decreasing their dependence on political commission, and other programs in areas of democratic norms,” Corlatean said. The EP deputy says the French minister has confirmed there are running assistance programs, and the French presidency is developing them, because there is a European interest to draw Moldova closer. The situation in Moldova was tackled Tuesday at the reunion of the joint commission of the European Parliament and Moldova. They discussed matters related to the developments after the Georgian conflict, to Moldova's electoral law, which is considered to be non-European, and other drawbacks in the democratic norms. Titus Corlatean is going to make a public speech on Wednesday in Brussels to ask the European Commission if the law banning the access to public jobs to citizens with multiple citizenship is considered to be European or not. “I will ask if this law, that I see as discriminatory, envisages the people having Russian passports, starting from president Voronin, or if it is applied selectively for the ones with European citizenship, including Romanian,” the Europarliamentarian said. Speaking on the intentions to resume the talks on the Transnistrian settlement, Titus Corlatean has said it is important that the EU should be present at the talks and should have a voice to be heard, as the negotiators should observe the principle of Moldova's territorial integrity. Too big concessions may affect the Moldovan citizens and their interests. “We know there is a pressing interest of president Vladimir Voronin to rapidly reach a solution in order to use it in the 2009 electoral campaign, but this interest needs not to be more important than Moldova's interests,” Corlatean concluded.