PM continues visit to Brussels with discussions on strengthening EU-Moldova dialogue, cooperation

Chisinau, 4 July /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Maia Sandu and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström in Brussels today discussed the latest commercial developments recorded within the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement (DCFTA), the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.    

The main goal of the meeting was to assess the reforms in the economic sector, including the strengthening of the free trade area between EU and Moldova. The officials highlighted that, in only five years of implementation of DCFTA, the exports to EU had witnessed a positive tendency, with the European Union’s market representing about 70 per cent of Moldova’s overall exports. At the same time, in 2018, the imports from EU stood at about 50 per cent, thus the European community becoming the principal trade partner of Moldova.   

Also, during the discussions, the officials set the priorities for the next period, in order to fully benefit from the potential provided by DCFTA. In this respect, the sides ruled to continue the dialogue on revising the tariff contingents, making progress in terms of the sanitary and phyto-sanitary regime (SPS), as well as extending the right to export for a wider range of Moldovan animal origin goods on the European market, as well as the number of native companies with potential of export to EU.  

For her part, Commissioner Cecilia Malmström reiterated the European Union’s willingness to provide financial support for the achievement of the goals taken by Moldova within DCFTA.

It is worth mentioning that PM Maia Sandu is on an official visit to Brussels. On 3 July, she had officials meetings with European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, European Council President Donald Tusk, Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, Director-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson and NATO Secretary General  Jens Stoltenberg.    

The principal subject of the discussion between Prime Minister Maia Sandu and Director-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson was focused on the needed conditions and steps due to be undertaken for the unlocking of the financial assistance. The officials also discussed the sectoral cooperation in terms of assistance seen for Moldova. Christian Danielsson showed clear support to provide Moldova with needed assistance to promote the agenda of pro-European reforms and emphasized the new Moldovan cabinet’s political will to implement the reforms for the benefit of the citizens. PM Maia Sandu stressed the importance of the European Union’s assistance to bring back to normal the process of reforms provided for in the European agenda.      

The meeting between Prime Minister Maia Sandu and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was focused on the process of Moldova’s transformation from a grey area between East and West, created by the former regime through corruption schemes and money laundering, into a democratic state which ensures the security of its citizens and stability in the region.    

PM Maia Sandu noted that Moldova had benefited from the programmes and mechanisms of cooperation with NATO, especially as regards the reformation of the defence sector. “Moldova appreciates and values the productive and extremely useful dialogue, as well as the cooperation between NATO and Moldova. We are interested in the expertise, experience and support of NATO for the implementation of the democratic reforms and modernization of the national defence sector, in order to cope with the challenges of the current world,” Maia Sandu added.    

At the meeting, the sides also discussed the continuing of the support provided by NATO through the Partnership for Peace Support Fund and Science for Peace and Security Programme, especially in such sectors and destruction of pesticides, development of capacities of cyber defence and information security, protection against chemical, biological weapons and many other non-military projects for the benefit of Moldova’s citizens.     

The meetings ended with discussions between Prime Minister Maia Sandu and. European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici. The main subject of the meeting was the re-opening of the process of Moldova’s financing after the necessary conditions are fulfilled. “We need the support of the European partners and we will do our utmost in order to implement the institutional reforms as quickly as possible, based on the Association Agreement.”