Presidents of Moldova, Ukraine sign more bilateral documents

Chisinau, 12 January /MOLDPRES/ - President of Moldova Maia Sandu and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed more bilateral documents and ruled to set up a Council of presidents in Kiev today.

Today, President Maia Sandu paid a visit to Kiev. This is the first visit in her capacity of head of state. She has scheduled more meetings and held a news conference along with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. At the event, the sides informed that the relations between Moldova and Ukraine would reach another level and the cooperation would be reset on all segments.    

„The fact that Maia Sandu pays her first visit namely to Ukraine is pleasure for me. We firmly support Moldova’s territorial integrity. I am sure that 2021 will strengthen our partnership relations, especially having in view that our countries have not only common border, but also vision about our future as full-fledged members of EU. Moldova backs the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is not afraid of calling Crimea Ukrainian,’’ President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.  

The Ukrainian head of state specified that the sides today had discussed also the rights of the minorities in Ukraine. ‘’We did not avoid the problematic aspects, which had been frozen many years. We agreed on fostering the work of the groups of experts for solving problems. A special subject was the strategic goal of integration of Moldova and Ukraine into EU,’’ Zelensky added. At the end of the speech, he invited Maia Sandu to Kiev on 24 August, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence.   

Maia Sandu started her speech in the Ukrainian language and reviewed more projects which will be discussed this year, among which the construction of a bridge across the Dniester river and of a modern infrastructure on the route Chisinau – Kiev, as well as possibility for the citizens of both countries to travel only with the identity card.  

„We have agreed to bring our relations to a higher level – the one of strategic partnership. We agreed to continue the discussions on important subjects dealing with the bilateral agenda, regional security, as well as to boost our joint efforts as to the European integration, including through the setting up of a Council at the level of Presidents, which is to contribute to identifying quick solutions for the benefit of the citizens. We ruled to foster efforts to ensure the security at the border; we declared mutual support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders; we established to speed up the agreement which would allow the citizens of both states to cross the border only based on the identity card; we discussed the need to diversify the energy sources, we stressed that the supply with water of the settlements from both banks of the Dniester river is a joint priority; we analyzed the option to develop the road infrastructure on the route Chisinau-Soroca-Yampil-Kiev, which is to ensure the quickest route between the capitals of our countries.  We have many common problems to be solved and we are sure that today’s meeting lays the foundations for a strategic long-lasting cooperation between our states,’’ the Moldovan president said. At the same time, Maia Sandu invited Volodymyr Zelensky to pay an official visit to Chisinau.    

During the visit to Kiev, Maia Sandu also has scheduled an official meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal and Parliament Speaker Dmytro Razumkov.   

photo: deschide.md