Moldovan speaker attends third issue of annual forum on European integration

Chisinau, 30 October /MOLDPRES/-“There is no better development model but the one offered by EU. This is an example of strong institutions, which, in their activity, put emphasis on the enforcement of the law and not on human factor. Even if, one year after implementation of the Association Agreement, the ordinary citizens still do not feel results, they will immediately appear.”

Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu made the statement at a today’s third issue of the annual forum on debates as regards Moldova’s European integration, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

The speaker said that, even if there was a good statistics in adjusting the national legislation to the EU acquis, as well as in implementing actions seen in the Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the Moldovans did not feel an improvement in living standards. He believes that the priorities of the European integration agenda should be reviewed and the reform in justice, banking sector and fight against corruption should be relaunched.

“Probably, it is the case to reset the European integration agenda as the current reality is different from the one of the last year and to review the priorities in implementing the Association Agreement and the Free Trade one. Time is ripe to think of some internal mechanisms, meant to focus all the efforts on a faster and more qualitative implementation of the Association Agreement. Surely, the foreign factor also matters in implementing the Association Agreement”, he pointed out.

In the context, the speaker launched the idea to set up an agency specialized in European integration, according to the model of other states, which would coordinate, at central level, all actions of implementing the Association Agreement.

Candu also referred to legislative priorities related to the Association Agreement’s enforcement, set in the legislative programme on meeting commitments assumed within the Moldova-EU Association Agreement, due to be implemented in 2015-2016.

The speaker also touched upon the latest developments in the political sector in Moldova. “What is happening on the political stage is a challenge, and disappointment is great both in the political establishment and in the state institutions, current procedures, system, etc. Disappointment is due to internal fights and unhealthy competitions between political parties”, he said.

The speaker also noted that today the negotiations were going to start for setting up a new parliamentary majority, so that in no more than three weeks, a government should be sworn in office, which would have clear goals related to European integration and implementation of the Association Agreement.

“Even if the situation is difficult, we will manage to regain the confidence of citizens and development partners. We will manage to create strong institutions, this should be the priority for the political establishment during the next period: stronger institutions, including those related to media and fight against corruption”, he said.

The participants debated the priorities and challenges of implementing the Association Agreement with EU, national security and freedom of expression, achievements recorded in the justice reform and fighting corruption. Attending the event are officials from Moldova and EU, politicians, opinion makers, representatives of civil society, political parties and international institutions. The forum is organized by the Association for Foreign Policy, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Association, in partnership with the Foreign and European Integration Ministry.

(Editor A. Raileanu)