DESPITE LACK OF UNITY ON COUNTRY'S FOREIGN POLICY, MOST CITIZENS STAND FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, PREMIER SAYS

"There is no unity in the Moldovan society on the question of the country's external policy vector, but a majority of citizens nevertheless supports European integration", Prime Minister Pavel Filip stated on Thursday, opening an official solemn meeting dedicated to the Diplomat's Day, an annual professional holiday.

In his words, for many years Moldova's foreign policy has been developing "in different directions", and the society could hear reproaches of the government's attempts to sit on two chairs, "but last 3 years, much has been done to add clarity to this question".

"Despite the criticism, one of the incumbent Government's important-most achievements was that the EU-Moldova Association Agreement implementation has always stood at the top of the list of our priorities. We have very much work to be carried out yet, but I am sure that advantages gained from the European development vector will necessarily lead to consolidation and consensus in our society", stressed the Prime Minister.

In his words, the Moldovan diplomatic corps has done much for Transnistrian conflict settlement, including by means of adopting important documents and decisions at the United Nations and the OSCE.

"One of the important-most successes achieved by the Moldovan diplomacy in 2018 was the adoption on June 22 by the United Nations General Assembly of the Resolution named "On a Complete and Unconditional Withdrawal of Foreign Military Forces from the Territory of the Republic of Moldova". This is an important document called to back the Republic of Moldova's efforts to ensure the country consolidation and protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to spare the republic of the continuing illegal presence of Russian troops", believes the Prime Minister.

During the official meeting, Moldova's Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ulianovschi decorated a number of ministerial employees as well as Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu and Dafina Gercheva, the UN Resident Coordinator and UN Resident Representative for the Republic of Moldova, with the Ministry-institutionalized Medal "For Diplomatic Merits".