MP accuses Foreign Ministry of rejecting Romania’s proposal to coordinate EU Visa Application Centre

“The obstinate refusal to accept Romania’s offer questions Chisinau’s capacity to cooperate within the EU Neighbourhood Policy, but also denotes Moscow tendency to create tensions between the EU members”. This statement was made on Thursday, February 22, in Parliament by MP Vitalia Pavlicenco, regarding Chisinau’s refusal to accept Romania’s offer to coordinate the European Joint Visa Application Centre for Moldovan citizens. As she states, as a proof it is willing to help Moldovan citizens, Romania suggested that the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council gave it the right to coordinate the pilot project. Romania will have the advantage of an ample diplomatic presence in Moldova, because it will have an edifice equipped according to the requirements for granting a Schengen visa, as well as consulates in Balti and Cahul. All these will reduce the distances and costs for visa applicants, who can benefit at present from just eight embassies in Chisinau, of those 27 of the EU member states. Under these conditions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in Chisinau “expresses puzzlement, is angry, feels not consulted enough, and looks for new ways to show its contempt and aversion about the helping hand lent by Bucharest”, Vitalia Pavlicenco stated. The MP urged the EU member countries to encourage and support Romania’s initiatives and actions. Recently, Romania announced that the European Commission gave go-ahead to Romania’s proposal to oversee the Joint Visa Issuance Centre for Moldovans. On the other hand, Moldova’s Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan stated Thursday, February 22, that EU did not accept the idea of setting up in Chisinau a European office concerning the facilitation of granting visas for Moldovan citizens. At the same time, the Foreign Minister said he did not understand the intention to create a similar office under the auspices of another EU member state. “For Chisinau, this thing has no sense, moreover it is inopportune”, he emphasised.