Biden's visit itself is more important than duration, think officials

We shouldn’t be frustrated by the short duration of the US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Moldova, compared to the several days he spent in Russia. “This is absolutely normal”, said Moldovan Speaker and interim President Marian Lupu at the national television channel, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The agenda of discussions between the USA and the Russian Federation was obviously larger. Both the USA and Russia are members of the UN Security Council. In Chisinau, nobody discussed about the crisis in North Africa, yet this is a topic of discussion between the USA and Russia”, explained the Speaker. According to him, the importance of the US official’s visit is in the principles of approaching Moldova’s own problems. “The size of the country, whether it’s a big or a small nation, these things didn’t count. What matters is the US government’s renewed commitment to support our country’s efforts”, said Lupu. Prime Minister Vlad Filat said that “we shouldn’t label this visit or judge it by the time spent in one country or another. The American official’s visit is an appreciation of our effort in Moldova, an effort made by citizens and defined by their endurance in the transition process”, he said. “The size of the country doesn’t matter. Some things happening in Moldova are a good example for other states in the region. It’s the foundation of democratic institutions. Joe Biden himself said that Moldova was a small country, but did great things”, US Ambassador to Moldova Asif Chaudhry said during the same TV show. Yesterday, March 11, US Vice President Joe Biden, made a visit to Chisinau. He was invited by Vlad Filat after the Moldovan Prime Minister visited the White House in January 2010. Before arriving in Chisinau, Joe Biden traveled to Finland and Russia. The event was a sign of support as Moldova celebrates the 20th anniversary of its independence this year and for its efforts of strengthening democracy and market economy.