Eastern Partnership - Priority of the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu has attended today the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, with the Eastern Partnership as one the main themes on the agenda.

RRA Reporter Carmen Gavrilă briefly interviewed Romanian Foreign Minister on discussions that took place in reference to prospects of working with the Republic of Moldova.

Teodor Meleşcanu: I had a discussion with (High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, n.a.) Federica Mogherini, and I said very clearly that during the EU Council Presidency, one of Romania's priorities will be the Eastern Partnership. Next year in May, at the celebration of 10 years since the launch of the Eastern Partnership, we would like to suggest that we organize a meeting at the highest level, and to this end I have handed over a note with the political events we are considering for the first semester of next year.

RRA Reporter: Do the recent political developments in the Republic of Moldova, such as the canceling of the elections for the Chişinău City Hall, affect the European-wide discussions regarding the Republic of Moldova in the context of the Eastern Partnership?

Teodor Meleşcanu: There is concern about the recent developments in the Republic of Moldova, not only at the level of the European Union, the Commission, but also at the level of the European Parliament. Again, I have also stressed that, from our point of view, it is a very dangerous matter for a mayor to be elected by popular vote and then to be invalidated by a decision of the judiciary, especially since I do not know what the legal basis is for such a decision. Anyway, I have spoken to European Commissioner (for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, n.a.) Johannes Hahn today, he told me the loan that was supposed to be given to the Republic of Moldova has been postponed, and until situations are solved, it is hard to tell if Chişinău will still be effectively and directly supported. For me, however, the message that I have sent is that priority is to keep Republic of Moldova on its European route.

RRA Reporter: Isn’t there a need for a more political will in Chişinău? What can be done besides financial sanction?

Teodor Meleşcanu: It is very important that in this period, Romanian ministers and ministers from other countries do visit Republic of Moldova and explain very clearly, but most of all support actions that go towards the accession of Republic of Moldova to the European Union. There is nothing else much to do at the moment.

RRA Reporter: Are you planning such a visit to Chişinău soon?

Teodor Meleşcanu: It had been scheduled. We'll see if it can be done in the coming period.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei