Moldovan, Latvian officials broach EU integration, bilateral cooperation

Chisinau, 16 October /MOLDPRES/- Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu today met Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs, on a two-day visit to Moldova, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

Candu and Rinkēvičs exchanged opinions on the evolution of  the cooperation relations between Moldova and EU, including given that Latvia held the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2015.

Andrian Candu thanked Latvia for the support provided to Moldova on the European integration path and reiterated the Moldovan authorities’ firm commitment to continue the country’s modernization.

“We are associated with the EU and resolute to regain the trust of citizens and our partners. Moldova has to retrieve primacy within the Eastern Partnership. Our priorities for the next three years are implementation of the Association Agreement, including the Free Trade one, as well as speeding up reforms, especially in justice, fighting corruption and improving the situation in the financial and banking sector”, he said.

Appreciating the good cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, Candu opted for boosting the parliamentary exchanges of expertise and good practices for advancing Moldova’s European integration, especially in terms of adjusting the national legislation to the EU acquis.

Other issues were focused on the political situation in the country, Transnistrian conflict settlement and regional context.

For his part, Edgars Rinkēvičs gave assurances that his country would further back Moldova in the EU integration process and country’s modernisation. “Latvia will back Moldova in the European integration, and Eastern Partnership is further a priority for our country”, he said.

(Editor L. Alcaza)