European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement policy, Johannes Hahn held talks with the main political actors on June 9 during his visit to Chisinau.  At a press conference held side by side with Maia Sandu, the official said the European Union is willing to give support and advice, including financial support, for the continuation of reforms.

“I express my gratitude for the peaceful transition of power. It was an expression of political maturity. We are ready to provide assistance and bring international experts at your request. The fight against corruption is important and requires international support. We have the experience of other countries, which we can also implement in Moldova,” the European official said.

In her turn, Maia Sandu declared that during discussions with the European official, the government has committed to pick back up the political dialogue between the Republic of Moldova and the EU. 

“We spoke about the initiatives of the new Government, including those on de-oligarchisation, freeing the state from captivity, forming independent institutions that respect the rule of law and work in the interest of citizens. We aim for a return to cooperation as usual between Moldova and the EU. We discussed our joint programs, many of which have been frozen,” the Prime Minister of Moldova said. Regarding macrofinancial assistance, the European Commissioner declared that it can be restarted beginning with September. 

“Last september, I have submitted previous Prime Minister Filip a list of areas where we expect changes or improvements. I have every trust and confidence that the new Government is urgently addressing these and I am confident that we can resume macrofinancial assistance in the course of autumn, beginning with September,” said Johannes Hahn.

The European Commissioner added that the EU can offer any type of support to Moldova: “What we do together here, is not against someone, but is to help this country and its citizens, to improve the living conditions.” When asked about his opinion on the speed with which the new parliamentary majority approved many new laws, Johannes Hahn appreciated the dynamic of the government. “We should be happy that the Government is dynamic and has important initiatives for the country.” 

This is the second visit of Johannes Hahn to Chisinau this month. Previously, on June 3, during the negotiations to form a parliamentary majority coalition, the European official led discussions with the representatives of the political parties in Moldova.

Diana Gatcan

Foto: privesc.eu