Foreign affairs ministers of Moldova, Sweden discuss bilateral agenda

Chisinau, 28 June /MOLDPRES/ - Acting Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister has had a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister of Sweden Ann Linde in Rome, on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and the U.S. Department of State.    

According to the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry’s (MAEIE) public diplomacy, strategic communication and media interaction service, Aureliu Ciocoi and Ann Linde highlighted the ascendant stage of the Moldovan-Swedish relations. The officials pointed out the need to boost, this year, the bilateral political dialogue, extend the sectoral cooperation and turn to good account the development projects in Moldova with Sweden’s support.   

The Swedish minister expressed confidence that the bilateral relations between the two countries would continue developing in fields of mutual interest. She reiterated the support in implementing the democratic reforms in Moldova, including by the providing of financial assistance through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).  

The officials also tackled projects on environment, as well as those in the sector of gender equality and combating violence, carried out with the assistance of Swedish partners.  

The sides reviewed up-to-date issues on OSCE’s agenda, in the context of Sweden exercising the organization’s chairmanship-in-office. The officials paid special attention to enhancing the efficiency of this organization in the prevention and settlement of conflicts in the OSCE area.   

In the context, the two officials exchanged opinions on the present stage of negotiations on the Transnistrian conflict settlement, as well as the present prospects for advancing in this process on the next period.   

The acting prime minister reiterated the Moldovan authorities’ willingness and openness to further maintain a dynamic and constructive dialogue with the actors involved in the process, as well as to contribute to creating the premises necessary for holding a new round of 5+2 negotiations, scheduled for next autumn.  

photo: MAEIE