Romania simplifies visa regime for Moldovan citizens

Starting January 1, 2007, Moldovan citizens will be obliged to solicit visas in order to enter Romania. This fact is stipulated in the Agreement on visa regime for foreign citizens signed by the Government of Romania and Moldova on October 20 in Bucharest, by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of those two countries, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu and Andrei Stratan. The agreement was signed in light of the near adhering of Romania to EU. At the same time, those two officials signed a Collaboration Protocol between MAE of Romania and MAEIE of Moldova. The Agreement on the visa regime for the foreign citizens between Moldova and Romania includes, according to Mihai Ungureanu, all the facilities existing in the European legislation and practice. Moldovan citizens will enter Romania free of charge. The holders of diplomatic and work passports are not obliged to request visas. The agreement also stipulates visas with multiple entrances. Romania will also expand the consular networks in Moldova. The following two consulates might be opened in Balti and Cahul. Moldova abolished the visa regime for the citizens of the EU, including Romania starting from the same date. The European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers negotiated a regulation on the small border traffic, which includes offering special permits for the citizens of the countries neighboring with EU. According to the Romanian press, at the meeting, the Moldovan minister of Foreign Affairs insisted on signing a Basic Treaty with Romania, in spite of the efforts of Bucharest to persuade authorities from Moldova to regulate the legal bilateral framework on the basis of European Agreements. “We did and will solicit Romanian authorities to support signing the Basic Political Treaty, or the Partnership and Cooperation Treaty as Moldova proposed earlier, and also the States Border Treaty. We are convinced that this very important documents will be signed, settling in this way the legal framework of the political relations between the two countries”, Stratan said. At the same time, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu tackled the subject of the solicitations for Romanian citizenship. Starting from 1991 until now, about 100 000 Moldovans received Romanian citizenship because of the imperfection of the 21st Law from 1991. The Romanian minister mentioned that there is one single panel of judges that can decide over the requests for citizenship. “We do not think it is correct”, Ungureanu said. His observations were sent to the Ministry of Justice, which will prepare a new normative act which will regulate the issue of offering citizenship, but that does not mean that thousands of Moldovans will become Romanian citizens. “Romanian citizenship is a privilege, not a right, and the Romanian citizens must prove their affection towards Romania”, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu concluded. Between 1991 and 2002, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova regained almost 100 000 Romanian citizenships, and after 2002 only 3200, as a result of introducing the proviso on residence on the territory of Romania.