“Romania will assist Moldova in negotiating and signing a new association agreement with the EU,” the chairman of the Romanian Senate's Foreign Policy Commission Titus Corlatean told a news conference in Chisinau on September 23, Info-Prim Neo reports. Titus Corlatean is visiting Moldova at the invitation of Igor Corman, the head of the commission for foreign policy and European integration of the Moldovan Parliament. This is the first visit made by a Romanian official to Chisinau after the visa regime for Romanian travelers was abolished. The program of the visit included discussions on the bilateral relations between Romania and Moldova following the July 29 early elections. “It is evident that our relations with Bucharest must return to normality. The first step was already taken when the visa regime was lifted, this being a condition imposed by the Council of the EU for resuming the talks with Moldova over a new association agreement,” Igor Corman said. According to Corman, Moldova aims to sign the Framework Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic with Romania and then to negotiate the Border Treaty. “We count on Romania's support at bilateral level and within the EU,” he said. Titus Corlatean described his visit to Chisinau as an additional proof that the relations between Moldova and Romania and between Moldova and the EU member states return to normality. Speaking about the Framework Convention on Small-Scale Border Traffic, Corlatean said that it would have been signed long ago if the Communist government had not invoked all kinds of reasons. He also said that while in Moldova he raised the issue of opening Romanian Consulates in Balti and Cahul and a Moldovan Consulate in Iasi in the near future. He added that a new Romanian Ambassador in Chisinau could be named late in October. “We will try to be active within the European Commission and in the relations with the IMF so that the financial support for the budget is disbursed as soon as possible,” Titus Corlatean said. While in Chisinau, Titus Corlatean had meetings with the Head of Parliament and Acting President of Moldova Mihai Ghimpu, Prime Minister elect Vlad Filat, the AEI's candidate for President Marian Lupu and the First Deputy Speaker Serafim Urecheanu. At the end of his official visit, Corlatean was to meet with the Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca.