Key to regional stability based on understanding, trust, says Moldovan parliament speaker

Chisinau, 10 November /MOLDPRES/ - "Moldova is proud of being the first country in the Eastern Partnership to obtain the visa free regime with the European Union. At the same time, starting 1 September, our country started the provisional implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU. Our goal is to make the European agenda a roadmap for domestic reforms", said Parliament Speaker Igor Corman in the opening of the seventh session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Democracy and Economic Development (PA GUAM) , held in Chisinau on 10 - 11 November, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

MPs from Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Moldova, representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Baltic States, representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic Speaking Countries (TURKPA) and the Visegrad Group, diplomats and government representatives attend the event.

In his speech to the participants at the event, Parliament Speaker Igor Corman spoke about Moldova's priorities during the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly chairmanship. The official referred to the importance of the PA GUAM platform in consolidating the interaction between the parliaments of member countries that had an active role in ensuring political and legislative support for regional cooperation.

According to Parliament Speaker Igor Corman, the period that has elapsed since the last session of the Parliamentary Assembly of GUAM was a complicated one - with both challenges and significant results. All PA GUAM member states that are also members of the Eastern Partnership, managed to move to an unprecedented level of dialogue with the European Union.

"We have similarities in our past and I am convinced that we can also share a common European future. The European Union acknowledges the European aspirations of the Eastern Partnership states. Political association and economic integration do not represent the final goal of our cooperation, but a foundation which we must build in order to get to the next stage - gaining the status of candidate country for states who wish to do so", said the parliament speaker.

Igor Corman said that one of the reasons that led to EaP countries working together and cooperating, including within the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly, was due to the fact they were affected by domestic conflicts. In the case of Moldova, despite all resistance by separatist authorities, many efforts were made to extend the benefits of the association with the EU for all Moldovan citizens, including those who live in the Transnistrian region. "Together with our European partners we strive to connect Transnistria to the new Free Trade Agreement, so that it can benefit, as part of Moldova, of the new economic opportunities," said the parliament speaker.

Igor Corman said that there was no other way to solve problems. "I am sure we all share the same opinion. The key to regional stability consists of a durable multilateral dialogue, based on understanding and trust", said the parliament speaker.