Moldovan, European officials approach reforms, cooperation

Chisinau, 29 November /MOLDPRES/- The EU will further back promoting the reforms in Moldova for the benefit of citizens, including fight against corruption, depoliticizing state institutions and banking reform. Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn made the statement in Brussels on 28 November at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Pavel Filip, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

At the same time, Johannes Hahn congratulated the Moldovan authorities for approving an agreement with IMF for the country’s development, which unlocked funding on behalf of the World Bank and EU. Thus, by late 2016, the EU will earmark about 45 million euros as budget support to Moldova.

In another context, the European commissioner pointed out the importance of ensuring a constructive cooperation between government and president-elect in the interest of Moldovan citizens.

For his part, Filip said he had come to Brussels with the feeling of fulfilled tasks. “The steps we have made in this period will create prerequisites needed to develop the country. Most important is that Moldovan people should feel the benefits of the reforms. I am firmly sure we will manage to make transformation, to modernize the country. If 2016 was a year of Moldova’s stabilization, I think that 2017 will be the year of Moldova’s growth. I need further the EU support in this path. I ask the commission, EU institutions, as well as the member states to be by our side,” he said.

Referring to the presidential elections, Filip said Moldova had to learn a few lessons after these elections in order to better organize electoral process in future. “I talked to the president-elect and I assured that the government is ready to cooperate in the national interest, or our national interest is the continuation of reforms, modernization, European road,” he said.

Filip assured that mobilization and commitment the current government showed in implementing the EU recommendations would persist in the coming period to carry out the structural reforms in the key-sectors in line with the commitments seen in the Association Agreement.

“This agreement is in benefit of our people and we are firmly focused on implementing the Association Agreement. There is no doubt to the seriousness we treat this responsibility. The commitment of government and respectively, of majority coalition in parliament on European integration goal is irreversible,” Filip noted.

(Editor M. Jantovan)