The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the EU spotlight

At the end of last month, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine signed Association and Free Trade Agreements with the European Union in Brussels, Ukraine having already signed the economic section of the Association Agreement earlier this year.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosso referred to the agreements as a historic success, which nevertheless depended on the three countries stepping up reforms that would bring their political, economic and cultural life closer to EU standards.

Romania was the first EU Member State to finalise the ratification of the aforementioned Association Agreements.

“EU enlargement on Europe’s south-eastern borders should remain a top priority on the EU agenda, including after the new leadership of EU institutions is sworn in, which will be key to defining the priority agenda of the Union in the coming period”, Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean said in Dubrovnik upon attending the Croatia Forum international Conference.

EU enlargement is all the more important, Minister Corlatean argues, against the backdrop of rising Euroskeptic and Europhobic attitudes.

Focusing on the process of the EU integration of states in the Western Balkans, Croatia Forum brought together European high-ranking officials, Foreign Ministers from EU Member States and countries targeted by the enlargement policy, alongside representatives from China, Japan, the United States and New Zealand.

“EU enlargement had and will continue to have a major role in strengthening the position of the European Union at global level”, Titus Corlatean also said in his keynote address, which highlighted the undisputable benefits the enlargement process has brought about to the Union as a whole and to the newly integrated states.

Romania is a telling example in this respect, considering the important economic progress our country has reported over the last few years, Titus Corlatean added.

He went on to say that Romania’s macroeconomic indicators reflect a sustainable economic growth and confirms our country has fulfilled all European criteria for fiscal discipline.

In a telephone conversation with president Traian Basescu, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko extended his gratitude to Romania for being the first EU country to ratify the agreements and for its full support.

In turn, president Basescu said the ethnic Romanian community in Ukraine also fully supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as Poroshenko’s efforts to put an end to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.