EU satisfied by intensified relationship with Moldova

Speaking at a talk entitled “EU-Moldova Relations,” the head of the European Union Delegation to Moldova, Dirk Schuebel, explained how the relationship between Moldova and the EU has been gaining in strength over the past year, Moldova Azi reported Thursday.

Schuebel spoke of the significant progress in various initiatives that his delegation has developed in partnership with the Moldovan government to bring the country closer to Europe. While Moldova has long been seeking to build greater ties with West, and EU countries in particular, it appears that those feelings have been increasingly reciprocated.

Since November 2009, there have been five EU commissioner visits to the country, compared to a total of four such visits since the creation of the independent Republic of Moldova. In the last two months alone there have been sixteen high-level missions to Moldova, something which Schuebel described as “unprecedented.”

Steps toward a visa regime

This intensified interest in Moldova is also leading to positive steps toward integration. During the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting in Luxemburg on Monday, 27 member states of the Union agreed to award Moldova an action plan for a future visa-free regime. Such a regime would allow Moldavians to go to European countries without the need for a visa, significantly increasing the possibility, and ease, of foreign travel for the Republic’s citizens.

“This action plan is of course no guarantee that Moldova will receive visa freedom very soon,” warned Schuebel, “but it’s just another very important step, and it will be the start of the so called operation face of the visa dialogue”.

Other future initiatives include the development of a “deep and comprehensive” Free Trade Agreement. This would lead to the opening up of the European market for Moldovan products, which could bring many economic advantages. Assessment missions have already been completed by EU representatives, who will provide recommendations to the Moldovan government in November, which will need to be carried out before negotiations can start.

As for already tangible achievements, the head of the EU delegation cited the re-instatement of the train from Chisinau to Odessa, through the breakaway region of Transdniester, which was aided by the European Border Assistance Mission. Currently only just for passenger travel, it is hoped that this will also be a route goods trains in the near future.