EC wants to replace Moldovans’ impossibility to freely travel to Schengen space through many contacts “person to person”

The European Commission wants to replace the Moldovan citizens’ impossibility to travel to Schengen space freely, through more contacts as “person to person”, ambassador Cesare de Montis, head of the EC delegation to Moldova, stated Monday, December 4. According to Montis, such contacts can be ensured through the Moldovan young peoples’ access to a large number of scholarships in the EU countries, thanks to a more active participation of the persons and institutions in Moldova in European programmes on scientific researches, youth etc. “An absolutely new field must be the consolidation of a dialogue divided into thematic aspects, as transport, environment and energy”, the cited source said. Cesare de Montis stated earlier that the EU structures were allowed to start discussions with Chisinau authorities regarding the facilitation of visa issuance for Moldovan citizens, while the EU member countries should particularly decide on this subject. According to the national plan of actions that envisages the initiation of Moldova’s negotiations with EU countries regarding the facilitation of the visa regime, approved in early November by the Government, the talks were to start in December and last over the years of 2007 and 2008. This autumn, as a result of the official visit to Brussels, Moldovan speaker Marian Lupu asserted that one of the subjects discussed in the European capital was that one concerning the opening of a joint centre for visa applications. He stated he received the confirmation of the creation of such a centre, and Hungary will be the country that will play the role of leader in this system. In the context, Lupu also stated he received the support of the political groups so that a mandate of starting the negotiations between Moldova and EU countries as concerns the agreement on visa facilitation for Moldovan citizens would be issued by the end of this year.