16/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Martin Schulz congratulates new president of Moldova. Congratulating Nicolae Timofti for his election as president of the Republic of Moldova after two and a half years of “institutional impasse”, European Parliament President Martin Schulz underlined, on Friday 17 March, that Timofti should “focus on the ambitious European reform programme”. “The two immediate and important challenges are the upcoming launch of talks on the deep and comprehensive free trade area and the next round of negotiations on Transnistria settlement”, added Schulz. Regretting that the communist party had boycotted elections, the president of the EP explained that Moldova “now needs more than ever national unity and cooperation of all political forces in implementing all reforms related to the European integration agenda”. (CG/transl.jl)