The prime-minister Vasile Tarlev declared at Bruxelles that “the EU membership is the firm intention of the Republic of Moldova”. The European Union officials suggested Moldova to concentrate its attention on essential reforms instead of focusing on EU membership. The EU commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, told Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev in a meeting on April 11 that "Moldova has made important advances in several areas”. These efforts had prompted EU to include Moldova in its GSP Plus scheme, the EU equivalent of "most favored nation" status, which makes easier the access to the European market, reports Radio Free Europe, cited by Info-Prim Neo However, Ferrero-Waldner said that "a lot of effort" still needs to be invested in reforms in the area of human rights, minority protection, and the rule of law. Ursula Plassnik, foreign minister of Austria, country that currently presides at EU, said after the meeting with Tarlev that Moldova must "manage its expectations in a responsible way" and work within the EU Neighborhood Policy, which is designed for neighboring countries not yet on the path to EU membership.