The dialogue started within a meeting of the Moldova-EU Cooperation Council held in Luxembourg. Attending the event on behalf of Moldova were Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and European Integration Minister Iurie Leanca, Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Valeriu lazar, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Victor Osipov and Justice Minister Alexandru Tanase.

Participating in the Council on behalf of EU were European officials, among whom: State Secretary at the Spanish Foreign Ministry Diego Lopez Garrido, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule, EU Director-General for General Policies Alfonso Diez Torres and Deputy Director General at the EU General Directorate for External Affairs Hugues Mingarelli. Attending the event were also the head of the European Union Delegation in Moldova Dirk Schuebel and EU Special Representative for Moldova Kalman Mizsei.

The meeting was followed by a news conference held by Prime Minister Vlad Filat, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule and State Secretary at the Spanish Foreign Ministry Diego Lopez Garrido.

Diego Lopez Garrido said that the European Union backs the Moldovan government's commitment to the European values. Garrido stressed that he appreciates the ambitious reforms initiated by the Moldovan government and the steps taken to get closer to the European Union. The official specified that the EU keeps a close eye on the steps taken to overcome the constitutional crisis.

Commissioner Stefan Fule said that relations between Moldova and the European Union are dynamic. "It is almost incredible how much Moldova managed to get in just several months," Stefan Fule said.

He stressed that, since the previous meeting of the Council, held last December, Moldova has managed to successfully implement the assumed commitments: started talks on an association agreement and launched negotiations on human rights in March 2010. The commissioner added that this proves the Moldovan government's commitment to the idea of European integration.

"This is a very good day for Moldova, as today we ruled to start the Moldova-EU dialogue on the visa regime liberalization, and the first round of this dialogue took place in Brussels today afternoon. I think that this is an opportune time to hand to Prime Minister Vlad Filat the reference terms to this effect, which will be a guide directing Moldova on the path to the liberalized visa regime," the commissioner said.

Stefan Fule specified that the final goal of the today's event is to give Moldovan citizens the right to travel freely to the EU. The European commissioner also touched upon Moldova's wish to sign a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU. He said that this will secure Moldovan business people's access to a market of about 500 million consumers.

Stefan Fule said that the EU will support Moldova with the started reforms. He also recalled that the EU will give Moldova financial assistance worth over 500 million euros in 2010-2013.

"We encourage our partners from Moldova to double efforts and implement the necessary reforms. Moldova is not alone in front of these challenges," the commissioner said.

Vlad Filat said that the today's meeting of the Moldova-EU Cooperation Council was a new opportunity to make sure that Moldova's relations with the European Union continue recording a positive dynamic. The prime minister thanked the EU for openness towards Moldova.

"We will have close cooperation relations with the relevant structures of the European Commission. Today afternoon in Brussels, Moldova's delegation will participate in the first meeting of high officials within the Moldova-EU dialogue on the liberalization of the visa regime. I know that, on this occasion, the European Commission will send an evaluation commission in the near future, which will make very accurate recommendations concerning our next steps in the dialogue on the visa regime liberalization. I invite this mission to come to Chisinau as soon as possible, eventually during the next weeks, so that Moldova's governments may use including the summer months to start the necessary reforms with maximal speed. This will allow us collaborating with a maximal efficiency," the prime minister said.

At the end, Vlad Filat said that Moldova is already a part of the united Europe in terms of values and mentality. "Moldova is a European state with European citizens. And the visa regime's liberalization will allow us removing those artificial obstacles to the unity of the European citizens, as our return to the European family is a natural and irreversible process," Vlad Filat said.

MOLDPRES