Brussels, 18/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 15 November, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy called on the Republic of Moldova's Prime Minister Iurie Leanca to continue working for a reunited Moldova - with the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Transnistria on the basis of a special status for this region. He asked Leanca “to take forward the constructive spirit of his recent meetings with the leadership of Transnistria, to work together to defuse undue tensions on the ground and deliver tangible results to the people”. “The European Union stands ready, more than ever, to support these efforts”, Van Rompuy said, reiterating the EU's “unwavering support” for the territorial sovereignty of Moldova and for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Van Rompuy also wanted wider communication in all of the Republic of Moldova “on both sides of the Nistru River” - including in Transnistria - about the advantages of cooperation between the EU and Moldova and of the future association agreement. Van Rompuy spoke of the EU's readiness to prepare for signature of the association agreement “by the autumn of 2014” - an agreement which will be initialled on 29 November at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius.
While underlining that the current political stability offers a fresh opportunity to make progress on the crucial reforms, Van Rompuy discussed Moldova's challenges with Leanca, and the need to tackle the root causes of last winter's political instability in order for Moldova “to implement properly the association agreement” after its signature. It is therefore necessary to make progress on judicial reform, the fight against corruption and improvement of the business climate. (CG/transl.fl)