Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Cristian Diaconescu said that he wanted to build pragmatic, mature and mutually advantageous relations with Moldova and Ukraine. Diaconescu is set to pay an official visit to Chisinau on January 22 and then visit Kiev on January 23, at the invitation of his counterparts, Info-Prim Neo reports. “I want that we build pragmatic, mature and mutually advantageous relations with Moldova and Ukraine. Hence, we focus on two aspects that can help us not stick in the past: Romania is an EU member state and can politically support the two countries in their efforts to join the European Union. The citizens of our states will have greater advantages if we use our neighborhood to build pragmatic relations and develop commercial, cultural, interhuman and political relations, rather than remaining in an uncertain zone burdened with mistrust and unsolved problems,” Cristian Diaconescu said before the visit, quoted on the Romanian Foreign Ministry’s website. In Chisinau, the Romanian minister will have meetings with President Vladimir Voronin and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Stratan. The discussions will center on the prospects of developing the bilateral relations, cooperation in helping Moldova come closer to the EU and regional issues. The Romanian Foreign Minister will make statements for media jointly with his Moldovan counterpart, will lay flowers to the tomb of dead poet Grigore Vieru, and will meet mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca. While in Kiev, Cristian Diaconescu will meet President Victor Yushchenko, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Ogryzko, Supreme Rada chairman Volodimir Litvin and other Ukrainian officials.