New and old recommendations for Moldova

“We went off to a good start,” Monica Macovei, the co-president of the Moldova-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee on behalf of the European Parliament, said after the statement with final recommendations to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Moldova and the EU was adopted on February 17, Info-Prim Neo reporters. The statement was formulated by the delegations of the two parties during the 12th meeting of the Committee that took place in Chisinau on February 16-17. The document contains a series of recommendations for Moldova and the immediate priorities that can help it come closer to the EU. Among these are the completion of the talks on the Association Agreement between Moldova and the EU and the opening of negotiations on the creation of a free trade zone and on the liberalization of the visa regime, probably in March this year. Igor Corman, the head of the parliamentary commission for foreign policy and European integration and co-president of the Moldova-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, said the adopted recommendations are beneficial to Moldova. “The EU is ready to help Moldova. It depends on us how we will promote the internal reforms. The role of the Moldovan MPs is also important when we want to convince the European partners that we need a liberalized visa regime,” Igor Corman said. Monica Macovei said the joint statement contains ambitious recommendations. “The administration, fiscal and judicial reforms must be indeed implemented as they help make progress on the path to European integration,” she stressed. The statement says the European Commission is willing to provide financial and expert assistance to Moldova. “Political wish exists, but money is needed as the reforms, the democracy costs,” the Romanian MEP said. Other recommendations refer to regional cooperation and the prospects of solving the Transnistrian conflict.