European Union to create in Chisinau a joint informational center for visa issuance

The deputy-chairman of the European Union, the commissioner of the European Union (EU) for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini intends to launch the idea of creating a joint informational center of EU for visa issuance, pilot-project to be implemented in Chisinau. The European official announced about this fact within a meeting with the president of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, who is paying a visit to Belgium. According to a press release of the Presidency, Voronin welcomed this initiative, qualifying it as opportune in the conditions when many EU member states do not have permanent representatives and consulates in Chisinau. In this context, the head of state solicited the examination of the possibility to facilitate the visa regime for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in Schengen space. The president mentioned that this problem becomes more sensible when Romania joins EU and when EU signed an agreement on this issue with Russia and negotiates a similar document with Ukraine. Voronin informed Franco Frattini about the unilateral abolishment by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova of the visa regime for EU citizens, starting January 2007. Within the visit in the Kingdom of Belgium, the president Vladimir Voronin also met with Jose Happart, the speaker of the Parliament of Valon (autonomous region of the Kingdom of Belgium). The collocutors emphasized the mutual interest of those two countries for the development of bilateral relationships on multiple areas, inclusively parliamentary. In this context, Happart expressed his confidence that his visit to Chisinau will open new opportunities of the Moldovan-Belgium cooperation. The Belgian official announced during this visit he will be accompanied by Belgium businessmen who are interested in investing in Moldovan enterprises. The president of the Parliament of Valon declared his support for the European integration aspirations of the Republic of Moldova, expressing his availability to propose to Belgium’s authorities opening in Chisinau the Consulate of the Kingdom of Belgium. Within the 2 days visit, Voronin also met with Andris Piebalgs, European Energy Commissioner, Marian Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development and with other official persons.