Twinning agreements between Moldovan and Romanian localities are a form of popular diplomacy that must be taken into account, as the steps taken at the local level should become an impetus for taking further concrete steps to bring the people from both sides of the Prut River closer together, stated Nina Costiuc, mayor of Budești commune, during an IPN discussion on Tuesday.
“I see the union, the integration of our country in Romania, exactly through such twinnings, through this form of popular diplomacy, which has the ability to get things off the ground. I wish that we could see the emergence of political will for taking further concrete steps”, declared Nina Costiuc.
She says that today, without the support of the central authorities, it is very difficult and there are many things to be done in terms of aligning the legal framework. “The legal framework is not uniform and at the same level. So far it is not clear to us how we could move to the implementation of mirror projects. Today, a different attitude and a concrete mechanism are required to implement joint projects simultaneously in the Republic of Moldova and Romania”, declared Nina Costiuc.
Nina Costiuc says that Romania has always stood with us through projects and this collaboration should continue, but efforts must be made from both sides. At the same time, the mayor says that, although she is happy that young people now have the possibility to study in Romania, she is saddened by the fact that many no longer return to Moldova.
“We are happy that we have the possibility for our children to go to Romania for studies, but I would ask how many have returned to the country and made their contribution to its growth. We are happy that young people have the opportunity to find a way, an opportunity to work. Unfortunately, our doctors and engineers are there and will never return”, said Nina Costiuc.
The discussion was the first installment of the “Double integration through cooperation and information” Series, run by IPN with the support of the Romanian Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova.
