“The Republic of Moldova will sign the Association Agreement with the European Union next autumn. There are no obstacles to implementing reforms until then,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Natalia Gherman said in a conference held to mark the completion of the project “National Convention for European Integration”, Info-Prim Neo reports. Asked if the fact that the Transnistrian conflict wasn’t settled can delay the signing of the Association Agreement, Natalia Gherman said this is not possible. “Even the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso while in Chisinau said that this unresolved dispute does not affect the negotiation process,” she said. Natalia Gherman stated that an observer representing the Transnistrian region attends all the rounds of the talks with the EU. The Transnistrian authorities are also informed about the benefits of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU, which is a component part of the Association Agreement, and of a liberalized visa regime. The deputy minister said the fact that the Transnistrians show an increasing interest in the negotiations with the EU was a good sign. The Moldovan authorities and European officials anticipate that the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union will be signed by the Eastern Partnership Summit of November 2013. The project “National Convention for European Integration” had been implemented during October 2011 – December 2012 by the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul” and the Independent Analytical Center “Expert-Grup”, in cooperation with the Foreign Policy Association of Slovakia, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia.