Moldova has yet a lot of work to do despite being a leader among EaP countries, Polish official

Moldova is a leader among the countries covered by the Eastern Partnership, but its faces many internal and external, political and economic problems that must be solved. The liberalization of economy and resolution of the Transnistrian conflict are two priorities that Moldova must fulfill to come closer to the EU, considers Andrzej Halicki, chairman of the foreign policy commission of the Polish Seim, Info-Prim Neo reports. “What we can do is to open these possibilities, to open the door. It is possible to enter and cover this path. It is our European obligation to open this door, but you should bear responsibility so as to build a common, well-developed and secured Europe,” said Andrzej Halicki. He also said that the enlargement of the EU is one of Poland’s top priorities during its presidency of the EU. But for this policy to cover Moldova, the government in Chisinau should fist of all resolve the Transnistrian dispute. “I think the process sees positive dynamics, but the Transnistrian conflict is the main, political barrier, which can affect the state security,” he said. Andrzej Halicki considers that Moldova must be a reliable partner for the companies that want to invest here. “If a company comes here, it means that Moldova will have a good image at foreign level. The presence of many foreign companies in Moldova will make other companies want to invest here,” he stated. Igor Corman, chairman of the commission on foreign policy and European integration of the Parliament of Moldova, said the opening of the negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement with the EU does not necessarily depend on the internal situation in Moldova. He voiced hope that concrete details about the launch of the talks on the creation of the Free Trade Area and on the liberalization of the visa regime will be provided at the forthcoming Warsaw summit. “We expect the negotiations on the Association Agreement with the EU will accelerate. We make effort to change the perception of visas so that they are regarded not as a long-term prospect, but as an urgent matter. We cannot become part of the EU if our citizens will not be able to travel freely in the European Union,” said Igor Corman. The Eastern Partnership Summit will take place in Warsaw on September 29-30. Poland holds the presidency of the EU between July 1 and December 31.