Brussels, 26/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 25 June, the EU-Moldova Cooperation Council confirmed “the substantive completion of the talks on the future EU-Moldova association agreement” between the EU and the Republic of Moldova, including the implementation of a deep and comprehensive free-trade area. The Council therefore looks forward to initialling the agreement at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius on 29 November. Moldova's Prime Minister Iurie Leanca said he hoped the agreement would be signed as soon as possible. This signature will take place after the end of the technical procedures.
The Council also returned to the need to explain the advantages of this agreement to the separatist region of Transnistria, so that it can be applied throughout the whole of the territory of Moldova.
Elsewhere, at the Cooperation Council, the EU and Moldova welcomed Chisinau's recent achievements, such as the implementation of some bilateral agreements, the increased and wide use of Community assistance, and the progress made in the second phase of the action plan for visa liberalisation. Leanca said his country is working on the implementation of the criteria so that the European Commission might recommend that the EU member states assess the possibility of lifting the visa obligation at the summit in Vilnius. The European side also reiterated the need for Moldova to put reforms in place after the recent political crisis that Moldova has experienced - reforms including the independence of Moldova's institutions and more transparency in political life and the media (see EUROPE 10867).
The Cooperation Council also said it was concerned about the recent unilateral action of the de facto administration of the region of Transnistria, and reasserted the need to begin negotiations in the 2+5 format. (CG/transl.fl)