A delegation headed by Prime Minister Vlad Filat, accompanied by his deputies – Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca and Economy Minister Valeriu Lazar – will be paying a visit to Washington between January 19 and 23, Info-Prim Neo reports. A key item on the visit agenda is the signing of the Compact Agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, under which Moldova will receive $262 million. The Compact Program for Moldova has two components – development of advanced agriculture as part of which there will be restored 11 irrigation systems, and road rehabilitation. The funds will be provided as a grant. Victor Chirila, executive director of the Foreign Policy Association, told Info-Prim Neo earlier that besides the mission of signing the $262m agreement, a major aim of of the visit is to convey the message that Moldova wants another type of relationship with the U.S., based on strategic partnership. The expert thinks achieving this desideratum won't be easy, for a number of reasons. First of all, Moldova does not have a strategic value for the U.S. as it is a small country that does not have natural resources vital for any economy (oil and gas) and is not located in a geographic zone important to the United States. But this does not mean that the U.S. is not interested in the political events and developments in Moldova. On the contrary, it wants that our country and the region where it is situated promote democratic values and enjoy political and economic stability. Therefore, the U.S. will assist the Government of Moldova in achieving the objectives that coincide with those of the U.S. government. Victor Chirila considers we shouldn't expect that the strategic partnership will appear immediately after Filat’s visit to Washington. It will be established only if it is based on a common view that will represent a synergy of Moldova’s interests and the interests of the United States in our region. Such an opinion was expressed by the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during his visit to Bucharest in 2009. He said that the U.S. will help Moldova implement reforms that will bring it closer to the Euro-Atlantic world. It was a very clear message, the expert thinks. Victor Chiril underlined that the development of the negotiations and the quality of the dialogue with the EU and the U.S. will depend on the reforms that the Moldovan authorities pledged to implement.