PACE President to deliver speech in Moldovan Parliament

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon will be paying a working visit to Moldova on December 17-20, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the Parliament’s Public Relations Division, the high-ranking European official’s visit is aimed at stimulating a climate of confidence between the two sides of the Nistru, which would be favorable for settling the Transnistrian dispute, facilitating the dialogue between the Parliament of Moldova and the so-called Supreme Soviet of Transnistria, and at collecting facts about the implementation of reforms and the progress made by Moldova on the path to European integration. In the morning of December 18, Jean-Claude Mignon will have a meeting with Head of Parliament Marian Lupu and will then travel to the Transnistrian region. The European official will also meet with representatives of the parliamentary groups of the Alliance for European Integration and of the faction of the Communist Party, with President Nicolae Timofti and Prime Minister Vlad Filat. On December 20, the PACE President will deliver a speech in Parliament. The same day, Marian Lupu and Jean-Claude Mignon will give a news conference at the Palace of the Republic. The program of the visit also includes a meeting of Jean-Claude Mignon with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca, and Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Eugen Carpov.