Brussels, 14/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union Troika and the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, where on Wednesday in Chisinau in Moldova, where they had meetings with the President Petru Lucinschi, the Prime Minister, Dumitru Braghios and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Nicolae Cernomaz.
This visit had as aim to reiterate the support given by the EU to the reform economic and political process in Moldova and to invite the authorities to continue these reforms. The EU already brought, between 1990 and 1999, an aid of around EUR 70 million, in the framework of the Tacis programme, to this country confronted by structural economic problems and chronic poverty. Macro-economic assistance of EUR 15 million is foreseen. The EU delegation reaffirmed its support for the accession of Moldova to the Stability Pact so that it may benefit from an additional aid for as much as this is not used in Transnistria. It called on the country's authorities to resolutely engage themselves in seeking a negotiate solution to the conflict in Transnistria, which requires an agreement between Moldova, Russia and the Ukraine. Mr Solana insisted on the need to accelerate the programme for the destruction of some 40,000 tonnes of heavy arms that are present in this region, where a withdrawal of Russian troops must in principal take place in 2002.