Brussels, 17/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - The Romanian government is of the opinion that measures taken by Moldova to introduce a visa regime for Romanian nationals are “contrary” to the Moldova-European Union Visa facilitation Agreement that came into effect on 1 January 2008. Moldova introduced this visa regime with Romania from 9 April. A working paper drafted by the Romanian authorities and recently sent to the various European capitals says that the Moldovan decision is in clear breach of the agreement with the EU. While Moldova is able to re-introduce visa requirements for certain “categories of EU citizens” (Article 14), Romania believes that the wording of the article can in no way refer to “categories” of nationals of the EU. This means, then, that the measures adopted by Moldova are “discriminatory” and are in “disregard” of the condition of reciprocity provided for in the visa facilitation agreement, the paper says. Romania suggests, too, that the measures adopted by Moldova amount to a unilateral suspension of the visa facilitation agreement with the EU. Bucharest points out that the European Commission ought to have been informed of such a decision and that it should have come into effect 48 hours after receipt of notice (Article 15). The decision by Moldovan authorities - communicated to Romania and not to the European Commission - was put into effect almost immediately. Given these circumstances, Romania asks the Commission to take action towards the Moldovan authorities so that a solution can be found as quickly as possible. In a letter to her colleagues, Romanian Ambassadress to the EU Milena Vicenova says that this matter will be discussed at the COREPER meeting of Thursday 23 April. The European Commission says that it was assessing the implications of Moldova's unilateral decision to introduce visa requirements for Romanian nationals. “We still do not know if this is a clear breach of the visa facilitation agreement or whether it is simply a not very clever political gesture which nonetheless runs counter to the spirit of planned negotiations on the full liberalisation of the visa regime with the EU,” a European source said. (B.C./transl.rt)