Moldovan MPs to pay official visits to UK, France

In the period between January 27 and 31, two parliamentary delegations, headed by Speaker Marian Lupu, will pay official visits to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the French Republic, Info-Prim Neo reports with reference to a press release of the Parliament’s Press Unit. The official visit to London will be made on the initiative of the Speaker of the British Parliament’s House of Commons, Michael Martin, and the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The parties will discuss the strengthening of UK-Moldova bilateral relations and the intensification of inter-parliamentary relations through experience exchange and sharing legislative practices. The Moldovan delegation will meet Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin, Deputy Speakers Alan Hazelhurst and Sylvia Heal, and Roger Berry, Chair of the British Group of IPU. The visit agenda also includes a joint meeting with the Parliamentary Group for Friendship with Moldova and the House of Lords Group for the EU Enlargement, headed by Lord Dubs. The parliamentary delegation from Moldova will also hold discussions with the chairs of the House of Lords EU Committee and the House of Lords Committee for European Policies Analysis, as well as with the Chairman of the House of Commons’ Committee on Foreign Affairs, and others. In the afternoon of January 28, Marian Lupu and one of the two delegations will visit Paris, France. The Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament was invited to Paris by his French counterpart Christian Poncelet, President of the French Senate. The purpose of the visit is to enhance the Moldovan-French dialogue on multiple levels and mainstream Moldova into the European political agenda. The Speaker will hold discussions with his counterpart on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. The officials will also discuss the European cooperation framework designed to intensify European integration reforms in Moldova. Marian Lupu will also talk about the extension of the Moldovan-French dialogue with Bernard Accoyer, President of the National Assembly of France. The head of parliament will also meet officials from France Telecom and Societe Generale, and will participate in a joint meeting with the representatives of French companies. The Moldovan parliamentary delegation will meet Josette Durrieu, head of the France-Moldova Parliamentary Group of the French Senate, and Josselin de Rohan, head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation for Moldova. Moldovan MPs will also hold discussions at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation will return to Chisinau on Thursday evening, January 31.