Regional cooperation: a mechanism of advancing towards European integration

The regional cooperation is a priority of the Moldovan foreign policy, as involving the country into the process is directed towards attaining the main objective – the integration into the European Union. The statement was made by deputy premier Andrei Stratan, the Moldovan foreign minister on Tuesday, at the international conference “Regional cooperation: opportunities, challenges and synergy,” Info-Prim Neo reports. The European integration is the driving force of the reforms and development of most of the states in the area, Moldova also participates in, Andrei Stratan said. From this prospect, the regional cooperation represents an important component and an efficient mechanism pursuing to contribute to to advancing process of countries towards the integration into the EU space, towards aligning to the EU standards, as well as acceding to European freedoms. Deputy foreign minister, Valeriu Ostalep, has told a news conference the key-objective proposed by the Foreign Ministry during the presidency of those 5 regional arrangements and initiatives in 2008-2009 is to contribute to the development of the cooperation processes in sectors of enhanced interests as migration, energy, transport, tourism. Asked to comment the allegations about Moldova's plans to get out of GUAM, the deputy minister said that, at the international conference, they discussed about Moldova;s most efficient participation within regional arrangements, including GUAM. GUAM's secretary general, Valeri Chechelashvili, has said GUAM unites four countries joined by similar European values, their cooperation being channeled towards the EU integration. This compatibility makes things simpler, on the one hand, and the expectations bigger, on the other, what explains all the critique concerning GUAM's work, said its secretary general. The international conference “Regional cooperation: opportunities, challenges and synergy” has been organized in Chisinau by the Foreign Ministry. The event has been joined by general secretaries of the Central European Initiative, the Regional Cooperation Council, GUAM, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation deputy secretary general, representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, OSCE, the World Bank, UNDP, the UN Economic Commissions for Europe, of the International Organization for Migration, of the Danube Cooperation Process, of the current and future presidencies of the EU, GUAM, Initiative on Migration, Asylum and Refugees MARRI, as well as of other regional arrangements. In 2008-2009, Moldova presides over 5 regional organizations in Central and South-East Europe: the Central European Initiative, the Cooperation Process in South-East Europe, CEFTA, the Cooperation Center on Security - RACVIAC and the Health Network in South-East Europe.