European ministers promise to hasten signing of agreement with EU

The foreign ministers of the UK, Poland, and Sweden, who came to Moldova on a visit, promise they will try to hasten the procedures for signing the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement between Moldova and the EU. The agreements were to be signed at the Eastern Partnership Summit set to take place in Vilnius in November, but, owing to the technical procedures, the signing may be postponed, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a news conference held in concert with the other two European ministers and Prime Minister Vlad Filat, British Foreign Minister William Hague said it is for the first time that a foreign minister of the UK paid a visit to Moldova and this can be regarded as a message that the British authorities attach great importance to the Eastern Partnership. The official also said that the UK supports Moldova’s reform program that, according to him, is a very ambitious one. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that he visited Chisinau after the April 2009 events and he then got the impression that Moldova follows a wrong path. Now he saw significant changes and that the Moldovans move quickly towards the Europeans integration. He stressed he will be glad to welcome Moldova at the Eastern Partnership Summit of November. As to the signing of the agreements with the EU, Radosław Sikorski said that Ukraine will do it before Moldova as it started the talks earlier. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt also noted the positive changes in the country, saying the EU member states provide firm support to Moldova. Vlad Filat said that this visit is a message of support and friendship and also a motivation for the whole political class to become more responsible. The three foreign ministers visited Moldova at the invitation of their counterpart Iurie Leanca. They had been in Chisinau on February 18-19. This was the first visit in trilateral format to Moldova.