Moldovan PM meets U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

Chisinau, 16 December /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Pavel Filip today had a meeting with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bridget Brink. The PM thanked the American official for the constant support the United States was providing to Moldova to implement the structural reforms and modernize the country, for the benefit of the citizens. In this respect, Pavel Filip highlighted the Agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which is a certificate of trust in Moldova before its foreign partners, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

‘’While 2016 was a year of managing the crisis and stabilization of the situation, then the 2017 year is to become one of development and economic growth,’’ the prime minister said. In the context, Pavel Filip said that the implementation of the Association Agreement remained an absolute priority of the government. 

At the same time, the PM informed the U.S. official about the priorities on the government’s agenda of reforms, among which: reform of the pension system, public administration, public procurement system, reform of hospitals and primary medicine, as well as measures due to be undertaken to ensure budgetary transparency.   

For his part, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bridget Brink congratulated the Moldovan government for the achievements got during the first year of mandate. ‘’The agreement with IMF is a positive signal for the international community and shows that you are on the right path,’’ Bridget Brink said.   

The American official encouraged the government to continue the reformation of the justice system, to enhance efforts in fighting against corruption and the trafficking of human beings and to ensure more transparency in public administration. In the context, Bridget Brink said the USA would consider possibility to back the implementation of the public administration reform in Moldova.  

Another subject tackled at the discussions was focused on the Transnistrian problem. The sides agreed that this conflict must be settled in the five-plus-two format and voiced hope that the discussions in this format would be resumed as soon as possible.

(Editor L. Alcaza)