Moldova could receive financial assistance from EC only after agreement with IMF is signed

The European Commission is ready to provide macro-financial assistance to Moldova, but only after the agreement with the International Monetary Fund is signed, European Commissioner Leonard Orban said at a EC meeting while discussing the economic and financial situation in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The European Commission is willing to help this country and offer it macro-financial assistance in addition to the support that will be provided by the IMF. We can also furnish specialized assistance and accelerate the disbursement of our ordinary assistance to Moldova,” Orban said, adding that it is too early to outline the macroeconomic assistance program. Orban expressed his confidence that the European Parliament will promptly approve the assistance package. “The assistance will be designed to encourage reforms in a number of areas, not only to cover the budget deficit.” During a session of questions put to the Commissioner, the MEPs said that the EU must act quickly. “We cannot disappoint the Moldovan people. Moldova needs actions, not promises. The economic situation in Moldova is more difficult than in the countries of our continent. Therefore, the EU institutions must identify solutions to provide macro-financial assistance to this state immediately so that it could cover the budget deficit of 14% of the GDP,” said Romanian MEP Catalin Ivan, a member of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Moldova. According to Ivan, the talks over a new agreement with Moldova were to be opened long ago. “Today, the opening of the talks became possible and they could close very quickly. The Moldovan Parliament is in a difficult situation. The risk of new elections is still high.” According to Romanian MEP Sebastian Bodu, the EC report on the economic and financial situation in Moldova leaves no room for interpretation. “The Government of Moldova experiences difficulties caused by the global economic crisis as well as by the long-delayed or wrong economic decisions made by the former power,” Bodu said. Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin said the EU is obliged to help Moldova overcome the difficult situation, especially after the country went through two elections. “The European Commission must tell the Government and the Opposition that Moldova should focus on the needs of the people,” Vigenin said, expressing his concern about the possible failure to elect the President of Moldova. Lena Barbara Kolarska-Bobińska, Polish MEP, said the results that Moldovan can achieve will be an important signal for other post-Soviet countries of the region. Romanian MEP Elena Basescu, the daughter of Romania's President Traian Basescu, said that after the July 29 elections, the Moldovan citizens showed that they want to become part of the EU. She stressed that the macro-economic assistance must be provided before winter. The MEPs also considered the possibility of liberalizing the visa regime between Moldova and the EU and discussed the Transnistrian conflict, reiterating the necessity of resuming the talks in the 5+2 format. Speaking about the talks over the liberalization of the visa regime fir Moldovan travelers, Commissioner Leonard Orban said the EU will take long-term gradual measures in this respect.