Chisinau, September 14 (Interfax) - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso believes Moldova and the EU could sign an association agreement within a year, before an Eastern Partnership summit scheduled for September 2013, the Moldovan government reported citing Barroso as saying in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Vlad Filat.
Barroso praised the Moldovan authorities’ efforts toward integration
into Europe and assured Filat that the European Commission would support
Moldova in putting into practice its European aspirations.
“During the conversation, [Filat and Barroso] exchanged opinions on
bilateral relations and Moldova’s European integration. Jose Manuel
Barroso congratulated Moldova on continuing the reform process and very
efficient negotiations with the European Union and said that he would
pay an official visit to Chisinau in the near future,” it said.
Filat reaffirmed Moldova’s commitment to a European choice and
declared that “the government will continue the reforms to be closer to
European standards and attain the main goal, i.e. EU membership,” the
press service said.
Filat also thanked Barroso for support and said that financial
assistance that Moldova is receiving from European bodies is important
to it.
