Names of government officials who will negotiate new agreement with EU made known

The cabinet of ministers endorsed the nominal structure of the national delegation of negotiators of the new agreement of Moldova with the European Union on Wednesday, February 4, Info-Prim Neo reports. The delegation’s head was appointed deputy premier Andrei Stratan, the minister of external affairs and European integration, Valeriu Ostalep, the deputy minister of external affairs and European integration is deputy head of the delegation and a chief negotiator; Iurie Muntean, the deputy minister of economy and trade is deputy chief-negotiator; Nicolae Esanu, the justice deputy minister – deputy chief negotiator, Iulian Groza, the chief of the European Integration Department of the Foreign Ministry – the secretary of the delegation. Members of the delegation are Valentin Zubic, the deputy minister of internal affairs; Galina Bulat, the deputy minister of education; Ion Perju, the deputy minister of agriculture and food industry; Nina Lupan, the deputy minister of finances; Natalia Suceveanu, the director of the Legislation Harmonization Center; ambassador Daniela Cujba, the head of the Moldovan mission to the European communities. Valeriu Ostalep said that, on December 3, 2008, the European Commission had approved the draft of the negotiation mandate for the new Moldova-EU agreement and presented it to the EU member states for consideration. Adopting the negotiation mandate is planned for February or March, 2009 and the negotiations will begin till the end of the Czech Presidency of the EU, in June, 2009. According to him, from the experience of other states, the negotiations will last two years. The Chisinau authorities think that the new document must be an association agreement that would clearly provide the way to integrating Moldova into the EU. This is to be obtained through gradually establishing a free trade regime with the EU and negotiating an agreement of a deep and comprehensive free exchange, that will enable the access to the EU freedoms; the sector integration in the key domains of the EU, especially in transport, energy, agriculture; recognizing the need of introducing a no-visa regime for the Moldovan citizens in a short time.