Leanca in Bucharest: Moldova is prepared to make new commitments to partners

Moldova is prepared to make new commitments to the partner countries and the European Union for a more efficient integration, Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca said during the Summit of Foreign Ministers of the Central European Initiative (CEI) taking place in Bucharest between November 10 and 13. “Moldova assumed the mechanisms for achieving the European objectives and priorities of the CEI and the EU,” Leanca said, quoted by Info-Prim Neo's correspondent in Bucharest. “The European integration and the signing of a new agreement concerning the creation of a free trade zone are the priorities of the new Moldovan administration.” Iurie Leanca said Moldova had experienced tough eight years under Communist rule as the government only pretended to be aspiring to Moldova's European integration, but brought the country to the verge of economic and political collapse. “The test taken by our people on April 7 and in the early parliamentary elections showed that Moldova is ready to achieve its objectives and European aspirations,” Lenca said. He added that Moldova actively participates in the most important projects with the Eastern Partnership countries and took a first step when it decided to abolish the visa regime for Romania. The next step is the signing of the Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic. Among the priorities for the immediate future, Leanca mentioned the reestablishment of the bilateral relations with the neighboring countries, first of all Romania and Ukraine. “We will be making every effort to have good neighborhood relations with all the Balkan states,” he said. “But we need financial support in this period of economic crisis and in liberalizing the visa regime for Moldova.” Romania's Foreign Minister Catalin Predoiu voiced hope that Moldova will make considerable progress on the path to European integration Asked by Info-Prim Neo's correspondent in Bucharest, Iurie Leanca confirmed that the CEI and the EU welcome the recent changes in Moldova – the peaceful transfer of power from the PCRM to the Alliance for European Integration, the initiation of the negotiations on the liberalization of the visa regime and establishment of a free trade zone. On November 13, there will be held the Summit of CEI Heads of Government. Prime Minister Vlad Filat left for Bucharest.