Informal EU-Moldova meeting to be held in Brussels on 24 August

An informal European Union-Moldova meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers is to be held in Brussels on 24 August, Moldovan Deputy Foreign and European Integration Minister Valeriu Ostalep yesterday told a meeting with EU ambassadors to Chisinau.

The European diplomats were informed about the fact that Moldovan authorities activities are streamlined towards the complete fulfilment of the Moldova-EU Action Plan which is to be concluded in February 2008.

Following a meeting of the Moldova-EU Cooperation Council held in Luxembourg on 18 June 2007, which was attended by President Vladimir Voronin, all national institutions involved in the implementation of the Action Plan were given the instructions necessary to remove drawbacks the European Commission had pointed out.

The diplomats also mooted Moldova s interest in the possibility of participating in EU programmes of assistance for media, fight against corruption, judiciary reform and observance of human rights.

The EU ambassadors were also briefed on Moldova s interest and willingness to kick off negotiations on a new Moldova-EU legal framework.

In Brussels, the EU deputy foreign ministers will be minutely informed about actions Moldova is to undertake to overcome drawbacks and about Moldova s view on the main trends of the future Moldova-EU document, which is to provide for joint actions to ensure free movement in the EU, to regulate trade and secure free movement of goods and services.

Moldova and the EU are to jointly determine the mechanism of ensuring these freedoms. At the same time, the participants in the 24 August meeting are to consider priorities of Moldova in its capacity of president of four regional initiatives in 2007-2008: the Central European Initiative, the South Eastern European Cooperation Process, Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre and Central European Free Trade Agreement.