Iurie Leanca: “Liberalization of visa regime depends on European countries' perception”

The liberalization of the visa regime for Moldovan travelers depends not only on the technical preparedness of Chisinau, but also on the spirit of the EU member states following the world economic crisis and the rise in the number of economic migrants, the Moldovan Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca said during the Press Club of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration on Wednesday evening, Info-Prim Neo reports. At the meeting with the journalists, Iurie Leanca said the obtaining of a liberalized visa regime for the Moldovan citizens is a priority for the Ministry and the Filat Government in 2010. The minister reiterated that he cannot say how long the talks on the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU will last, but stressed that the negotiations are not purely technical as they contain political elements. “The political component depends mainly on the perceptions and sentiments of the EU member states,” Leanca said. According to him, the time is now not the most opportune for discussing this issue as the world economic recession made the European countries hostile to immigration. The minister also said that a team of European experts will arrive in Chisinau in February to see if Moldova was ready to start the talks on the liberalization of the visa regime with the EU. He added the negotiations on the creation of an extensive and comprehensive free trade zone between Moldova and the EU could open in 5-6 months. “We consider we will be ready at least theoretically to start the talks in 5-6 months. It depends on our colleagues in Brussels who hold such negotiations with Georgia, Ukraine and other countries. But I hope we will start them as soon as possible,” Leanca said. The first round of talks on the Association Agreement between Moldova and the EU was held on January 12. At the end of the discussions, it was stressed that Moldova is ready for negotiations and could become areal partner of the EU.