President Vladimir Voronin considers that Moldova’s movement towards the European Union simultaneously with the participation in integrationist projects within the CIS and the strategic partnership with Russia is logical and consistent. He made the statement at a reception held for the diplomatic corps and the participants in the Informal Meting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South East European Cooperation Process Member States set to take place in Chisinau on Friday, January 30. “We are often criticized for acting like ‘omnivores’ in the area of foreign policy because we move towards the European Union without turning the back on our partners from the East. I mean our rather focused activism in the integrationist projects within the CIS, our devotion to the strategic partnership with Russia. We consider our position rather logical and consistent,” the head of state said. Voronin also said that Moldova does not regard the European integration as friendship to someone’s detriment or as ‘caricatural attempt’ to isolate from Russia and the CIS states with a new, artificial Iron Curtain. “We regard the European option as a form for becoming open and universal and for identifying areas for establishing sustainable and viable partnerships.” The Moldovan president stressed that there are no precedents for such a partnership and made it clear that the CIS states have not yet overcome the stage of narrow state egoism. “Moldova would like to see more precedents for such a partnership and realize that the peoples in the CIS are able to rise above the narrow state egoism. We are connected with these peoples by a common history, numerous human relations, common tragedies and victories. According to Vladimir Voronin, while holding the presidency of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Moldova will manage to formulate a not at all formal agenda, authentic for the EU and the CIS. Among the priorities of the agenda, he mentioned the cooperation in reducing the effects of the world economic crisis and strengthening the efforts to overcome the consequences of the regional conflicts. “The experience gained in the settlement of the Transnistrian dispute shows that the U.S., the EU, Russia and our immediate neighbor Ukraine are capable of reaching a consensus and identifying the most productive and creative solutions namely in Moldova.” Moldova is holding the presidency of the South East European Cooperation Process for the first time. It took it over in 2008 and will hold it for a year. On January 1, 2009, Moldova also took over the presidency of the Commonwealth of Independent States.