President Nicolae Timofti participates in an anniversary summit of the Eastern Partnership in Prague, the Czech Republic, on 24-25 April.
During the first meeting of the summit, Timofti delivered the following speech:
“Dear Mr President Zeman,.
Dear colleagues,.
Ladies and Gentlemen,.
It gives me great pleasure to participate in this meeting, following an invitation by my colleague, Czech President. We mark together 5 years since the creation of the Eastern Partnership. Let me express my appreciation for hospitality and excellent organization of this meeting.
The Eastern Partnership, launched by Poland and Sweden in Prague, came to give form and content to reality in the EU Eastern neighborhood.
The principles we have put together to the foundation of this initiative are rapprochement, conditions and differentiation.
Initially, Moldova has been committed to turn to good account the potential of the Eastern Partnership in order to meet its goal, namely, European integration.
Based on our commitment to take over European values and principles, we have launched a comprehensive process of reforms, with the following goals:
-Ensuring democracy and observance for human rights and the state based on the rule of law,
-Improvement of investment climate and encouraging economic growth
-Sustainable development
-Fortification of law enforcement bodies, responsible for ensuring observance of the rule of law and public order.
Evaluation index of the Eastern Partnership for 2013 placed Moldova at the forefront of Eastern partners in terms of performance. It is a proof that the chosen direction is correct.
During the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, the Moldova-EU Association Agreement was initialed.
On this occasion, I would like to express our appreciation for the EU efforts streamlined to speed up the preparation of the agreement’s text for signing. It is absolutely necessary that signing should be carried out as soon as possible.
I have recently sent a letter to the European colleagues, proposing that the Association Agreement should be signed in late May.
The efficient fulfillment of the provisions of the Association Agreement will make my country’s European integration irreversible.
The EU support will boost even more the pace of reforms and citizens’ trust in Moldova’s European future.
Another significant achievement of Moldova is the EU decision to liberalise visa regime for Moldovans, which will enter into force next week.
The European partners’ support in meeting the conditions of the action plan on visa free regime helped us to honor our commitments in a relatively short time.
Moldova has become the first country in the Eastern Partnership which will benefit from a visa free regime for traveling to the Schengen area.
Moreover, the conditions set by the EU represented an efficient platform for reforming the home affairs sector in accordance with the best European practices, so that Moldovans should feel safe and protected at home.
The experiences gained in this process have an important added value in terms of deepening transformations, as well as advancing in new goals of cooperation between Moldova and the EU in the justice and domestic affairs.
Referring to many achievements got in the sectoral cooperation with the EU at bilateral level, I would like to stress boosting interaction and dialogue in the energy sector, which gets an increasing share.
Connection, through Romania, to the EU energy market, especially, in terms of gas, is one of priorities of my country, reflected in the agenda on our cooperation with the EU.
The European partners’ support for construction and modernization of infrastructure is particularly important and highly appreciated.
This year, we will complete the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline. Other projects on connection will follow.
Ladies and Gentlemen,.
We describe our relationship with the EU as a road with two directions and not only in terms of the support we are provided for meeting reforms.
We want to shift from the status of net beneficiary to the contributor one to strengthening and promoting European values and policies.
We shared the positive experience in implementing the Mobility Partnership with the countries involved in similar partnerships with the EU.
Following an initiative by Moldova, a platform for discussion between the eastern partners and the EU was launched in order to identify some cooperation fields within the Stockholm Programme in the justice and domestic affairs.
In the same context is fitted my country’s willingness to develop cooperation with the EU in Common Security and Defence Policy under the framework agreement on participation in the crisis management operations carried out by the EU.
The achievement got in our European integration has a positive impact on Moldovans. At the same time, strengthening Moldova’s development as a modern European state contributes to stability and prosperity of entire Europe.
Once the Association Agreement is signed, a new stage of cooperation with the EU starts for my country.
We are determined to go through this stage in order to meet our final goal- integration into a united Europe.
Thanks”.