Gheorghi Parvanov: Bulgaria will support Moldova in its European integration efforts

“Bulgaria will back Moldova on the path to European integration,” the President of Bulgaria Gheorghi Parvanov, who is on an official visit to Moldova, said Thursday. “Moldova counts on the support of its friend, Bulgaria,” Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin said for his part, Info-Prim Neo reports. Vladimir Voronin said that Moldova would like that the mandate for negotiating a new EU-Moldova agreement included four important points: the recognition of Moldova’s European integration prospects by signing a EU-Moldova association agreement that would clearly stipulate how Moldova can come closer to the EU gradually; liberalization of the visa regime; provision of assistance in developing cooperation in sectorial areas and negotiation of a broader free trade agreement with the EU in the future. “I would like to say on behalf of all the Bulgarian institutions that we support Moldova’s European prospects and will back Moldova in its European integration bid,” Gheorghi Parvanov said. “We agree with the EU that Moldova made real progress. We will support Moldova in its efforts to obtain new autonomous trade preferences from the EU and a facilitated visa regime,” the Bulgarian president said. Gheorghi Parvanov said that the relations between Moldova and Bulgaria have been very intense during the last 7-8 years. “I can say that the friendship relations between me and President Voronin represent a stimulus to the cooperation between the institutions of our countries. Many problems existing between us have been solved and now there are very good economic and cultural prospects,” Parvanov said. The two heads of state agreed on strengthening the commercial and economic relations. “Though trade between the two countries amounted to about $67 million last year, we consider that there is a greater potential that the economic entities from the two states can and should use. We remain open to Bulgarian investments in the Moldovan economy,” Vladimir Voronin said. “We will work on this despite the economic crisis so as to increase Bulgarian investments in Moldova,” Gheorghi Parvanov stated. The two presidents awarded distinctions to each other. Vladimir Voronin conferred the Order of the Republic on Gheorghi Parvanov is gratitude for the special contribution to developing friendship and cooperation relations between Bulgaria and Moldova, while Gheorghi Parvanov honored Vladimir Voronin with the highest distinction of Bulgaria – the Stara Planina Order with ribbon in gratitude for his contribution towards developing and strengthening the good relations between the two countries.