While in Brussels on an official visit, the Communist Party’s candidate for mayor of Chisinau Igor Dodon had a number of meetings with officials of the European Commission on Thursday afternoon, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from the candidate’s electoral staff. The discussions with Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia of the EU’s European External Action Service Miroslav Lajcak, ex-Foreign Minister of Slovakia, centered on Moldova’s economic integration into the European Union and the current political situation in Moldova. Igor Dodon also met with EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, former Minister of Agriculture of Romania. The interlocutors discussed the rural and regional development programs and the possibility of implementing regional modernization projects in Moldova. In the office of the European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule, Igor Dodon talked with his representative Alena Obrusnikova. They discussed the regional development programs covered by the Good Neighborhood Policy and the possibility of attracting funds to implement crossborder projects. Igor Dodon stressed that the European integration should be based on economic integration so as to initially improve the living standards in Moldova. He also spoke about the opportunity of launching new projects to develop the infrastructure in the municipality of Chisinau, strengthening of the commercial relations and attraction of investments. According to Igor Dodon, Moldova must develop balanced economic partnerships with the East and the West and attract investments to develop Chisinau as there is potential that has not been yet realized.