Lazar Comanescu: Beyond political measures, Moldova and Romania should carry out concrete activities and put emphasis on pragmatic matters

Romania is the country that will further support Moldova on its path to European integration and will provide the necessary assistance so that it covers this road as soon as possible. Beyond political measures, Moldova and Romania should carry out concrete activities and lay emphasis on pragmatic matters, Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu told the reporters on Monday evening at the end of his visit to Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. The minister made the statements after a meeting with the Mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca. “I assured the Mayor General that Romania is and will be a string supporter of Moldova’s European aspirations,” Lazar Comanescu said. The Romanian official stressed that for this plan to be achieved as soon as possible, Moldova must make the necessary efforts at national level so as to fulfill the conditions deriving from such a process. They also discussed the cooperation between Chisinau and Bucharest, including issues related to the implementation of standards on urban development and the administration of units in accordance with the European standards. Dorin Chirtoaca said that the experience that Romania gained on the road to European integration must be transmitted to Moldova so that it reaches the same result as Romania, but over a shorter period of time. “We want this to happen in about ten years,” the Mayor of Chisinau said. He also said that they discussed the possibility of supporting the Romanian-teaching schools working in the Transdniestrian region and all the Moldovan citizens in their efforts to join the EU, including by simplifying the crossing of the border between Moldova and Romania and by helping the Moldovans that want to obtain Romanian nationality so as to correct the occupation of 1812-1940. Speaking about the Transnistrian conflict, Comanescu said that the Romanian authorities consider that the dispute must be solved at the talks in the 5+2 format. “I am optimistic that the conflict will be solved and that the EU will prove more openness in finding solutions in the 5+2 format,” the Romanian Foreign Minister said. While in Chisinau on an official visit, the Romanian minister met with Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin, the Head of Parliament Marian Lupu, Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi, and First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Dodon. Lazar Comanescu also visited the consular section of the Romanian Embassy, accompanied by Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan. A communiqué from the presidential office says that Vladimir Voronin and Lazar Comanescu highlighted the importance of signing the Border Treaty and the Basic Political Treaty so as to make the bilateral dialogue more efficient. The head of state said that a shift to a qualitatively new stage in the relations between the two countries is possible by acknowledging this objective and by making concerted effort in order to overcome the existent difficulties. At the meeting with Speaker Marian Lupu, Lazar Comanescu said that the bilateral relations between. Moldova and Romania must develop on the basis of an authentic partnership based on transparency, credibility and European values. The officials stressed the importance of defining and promoting long-term cooperation relations that would enable the two states to initiate partnership projects beneficial to the citizens of the two countriues. With Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanyi, Lazar Comanescu discussed a wider economic partnership. The Romanian official said that Romania regards the relations with Moldova as relations between equal partners and is disposed to develop these relations in all the areas. Referring to the economic cooperation, Lazar Comanescu said that Moldova is for Romania one of the most important economic partners. All the aspects of the economic relations between Moldova and Romania are to be discussed at the meeting of the joint Moldovan-Romanian commission for commercial-economic cooperation scheduled for this September. Lazar Comanescu paid an official visit to Moldova on July 7 at the invitation of his Moldovan counterpart Andrei Stratan. This was the first official visit after the June 2007 visit of Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu. On December 21, the then Foreign Minister of Romania Adrian Cioroianu inaugurated the new headquarters of the Romanian Consulate in Chisinau. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova described Cioroianu’s visit to Moldova as inimical act.