​EU STANDS FOR CONTINUATION OF REFORMS THAT WILL MAKE MOLDOVA’S EURO-INTEGRATION IRREVERSIBLE – DONALD TUSK

The European Union stands for continuation of the reforms started in Moldova and for achieving results that would make the republic’s Euro-integration course irreversible, the European Council’s new Chairman, Donald Tusk, stated during his meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leanca in Brussels on Thursday.

Donald Tusk confirmed that the European Union will be further backing the Republic of Moldova.

Leanca congratulated Tusk upon his new appointment, and voiced hope for continuation of the efficient cooperation, which used to develop successfully during Donald Tusk’s tenure as a Prime Minister of Poland.

Touching on the results of the November 30 parliamentary elections in Moldova, Iurie Leanca emphasized their importance for Moldova’s future, as the country has thus received the possibility to continue its European path.

“European integration will be the basis of the work of the would-be governing coalition. At home, our main priority will be the continuation of reforms, and in the international plane – enlisting the EU states’ consent for granting the EU candidate status to Moldova. A particular attention will be attached to completion of the judiciary reform, to raising the efficiency of the struggle against corruption, to ensuring economic growth, stability of banking system, and to continuation of the power decentralization reform. The European Union’s monitoring and urging in these questions will be as important as will be the financial assistance, which the European Union is rendering to help us implement the reforms”, said Premier Leanca.

Donald Tusk said he would visit Moldova before the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in Riga (Latvia) in May 2015.

The perspectives of Moldova’s European course were discussed also in Iurie Leanca’s meeting with Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, who highlighted the importance of enhancing reforms, particularly in the fields of the judiciary and struggle against corruption, and the significance of ensuring economic growth to improve citizens’ living standards.

Iurie Leanca assured that the new governing coalition of pro-European parties is firmly going to meet its commitments to the country’s European agenda, and in this domain Moldova needs support from the European Union and European Commission.

“The first possibility for outlining concrete measures for active reform promotion in a number of spheres such as the judiciary, banking sector, struggle against corruption, power decentralization, will be the first meeting of the Association Council scheduled for January 19”, said the Moldovan Prime Minister.

Meeting with Iurie Leanca, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, called upon Chisinau to speed up reforms and depoliticize regulatory and controlling agencies in Moldova. She promised that the European Union will be helping Moldova in its advancement on the European path.

Premier Leanca said that the receipt of the EU candidate status by Moldova could stimulate reforms and booster country modernization.