Romania backs EU enlargement

Former communist countries that joined the European Union in the past decade, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania share their experience in the domain with the new countries clamouring EU accession.

An eastern outpost of the European Union and NATO, Romania is directly interested in the eastward enlargement of these areas of freedom and security.

Through the voice of the Romanian Presidency, Government and Foreign Ministry, Bucharest has officially been a staunch supporter and advocate of some former Soviet republics’ rapprochement to the European and Euro-Atlantic structures, after they chose to separate from Moscow and embrace Western values.

Concurrently, the Romanian diplomacy has taken a keen interest in the Western Balkans, a region ravaged by the bloody wars in former Yugoslavia, two decades ago, which is now stable and seems to get back to normalcy.

A potential candidate for president of the country, Prime Minister Victor Ponta is already trying to shift his attention to and get involved in major foreign policy issues, which is usually a prerogative of the Romanian President.

At the weekend, he invited to the Danube Delta three of his counterparts, whose countries are clamouring EU accession: Iurie Leanca, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (with a predominantly Romanian speaking population), Georgia’s Premier Irakli Garibashvili and Serbia’s Alexandar Vucic, alongside the prime ministers of two EU member states, Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Bohuslav Sobotka of the Czech Republic.

Although it hasn’t been announced earlier, the meeting, which came as a surprise, preceded the signing, on June the 27th, by Chishinau, Tbilisi and Kiev of the EU Association and Free Trade Agreements.

The talks held in the Delta focussed on the EU’s Eastern Partnership and the concrete way in which the member states can support the candidates’ European path.

“Romania, just like other EU members in the region, is firmly supporting the European and democratic path of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. There are many things that we can discuss together about European integration, based on the good things that Romania and the Czech Republic, for instance, have done, as well as on the mistakes that we have made and hopefully our partners in the region will avoid making” Victor Ponta said.

On behalf of the pro-Western administration in Chishinau, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca thanked the Romanian Government for the consistent support it had provided to Chishinau.

“Our being here for two days gives us positive energy. Furthermore, we had very useful talks, because, when we go to Brussels on June the 27th, not only will we sign the Association Agreement, but we will have enough energy and strength to move to the next stage, to transpose in our daily life the provisions of this extremely important agreement to Moldova’s future“ Iurie Leanca said.

An incentive for the former Soviet candidates, the support of the former communist members of the Union is helpful, but it doesn’t solve their integration issue as such.

This can be solved neither in the Delta, nor even in Brussels, but only as a result of the reforms carried out in Chishinau, Kiev and Tbilisi.