EU should strengthen cooperation with Moldova on condition that the Action Plan is fully implemented, European officials say

Chisinau hopes that when the EU-Moldova Action Plan is implemented, the EU member states will give their consent and the European Commission will initiate a new political document that will provide the same possibilities as the ones enjoyed by the countries from Western Balkans and Southeastern Europe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Stratan said at the conference “Moldova in Europe – Europe in Moldova” on November 27. Stratan said that the name of the document does not matter. It is more important that it includes the four freedoms – the right to free movement of the persons, capital, services and goods. The Republic of Moldova is implementing the recommendations and objectives that will help it approach the EU, the Moldovan Foreign Minister said. According to him, the official Chisinau cannot hasten this process on its own as it knows what the situation inside the EU is like. But this thing does not hinder Moldova from negotiating and obtaining the four freedoms that will move it closer to the citizens of the EU as well as politically. In such a way, Moldova would have the opportunity to know and assume the European values. Bjorn Lyrvall, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, said that the Republic of Moldova should continue with the initiated reforms. Afterwards, the EU member states will discuss what new approach the EU should adopt in the relations with Moldova so as to offer a prospect of closer cooperation. But such a prospect should be offered on condition that the EU-Moldova Action Plan is fully implemented. Sweden and other members will be making every effort to support Moldova on the path to European integration. Sweden considers that all the European states that want and can join the EU must have such a chance, he said. Zygimantas Pavilionis, representative of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, said that his country supports Moldova in its aspirations to join the EU. He gave pieces of advice from Lithuania’s experience such as to have a closer dialogue with the European Commission, to look for as many fiends as possible among the EU member states, to conduct an informative campaign on Moldova and its achievements inside the EU and others. The international conference “Moldova in Europe – Europe in Moldova” was organized with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and of the Institute for Public Policy of Moldova.