Moldovan PM says Eastern Partnership instrument allowing to speed up European integration

Chisinau, 22 November /MOLDPRES/ 

The fifth Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit will take place in Brussels on 24 November 2017. On the eve of the summit, the MOLDPRES News Agency made an exclusive interview with Moldova’s Prime Minister Pavel Filip.   

Question: Mr. Prime Minister, you have recently stated that the summit would be a moment of key decisions for the future of the associated countries: Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. If to take into account the recommendations made by the European Parliament several days ago, this summit can be a historical one.  

Answer: The Eastern Partnership Summit will mean a renewed commitment of EU for the associated countries from our region. We have made proposals on how the partnership can become more efficient, both separately, and along with the other associated countries. We are confident that many of our proposals will be found in the conclusions of the summit. Just as we know, the Eastern Partnership is an instrument which, being used well, will allow us speeding up the European integration. We will see a realistic and constructive approach at the summit, which takes into consideration the lessons of the last eight years.  

I reaffirm once again: everything depends on us, on the progress we are to make and the stability of the pro-European option. An essential result of the summit is that the Eastern Partnership will be strengthened and Moldova will be a first beneficiary.  

Q: Before the summit, the European Parliament clearly spoke out for the stimulation of the countries which recorded progress in carrying out reforms: Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. As a reward, those three countries are suggested to be included into a modernized format of the current partnership, Eastern Partnership Plus. What would this new format imply?   

A: According to recommendations by the European Parliament and in our opinion, it is only natural that the states which made a clear-cut option for Europe benefit from more support on behalf of the European Union. Beyond the general objective to have stable and well-governed countries in its neighbourhood, EU will be more attentive and will earmark more funds to those who make sacrifices and implement reforms, in line with the EU principles.     

The European Parliament’s proposals will not necessarily be reflected in what will be discussed at the summit; yet, they represent an ambitious agenda for the next years, which we will back, as it contains measures and items of increased interest for our country. I hope that, in the years to come, we will make progress due to allow us having a profound discussion on such topics as: access to the energy, digital union and the Schengen Area; more chances to benefit from advantages of the single market; connection to the European transport networks; partnerships in the industrial zone; increased participation in EU programmes and agencies, more cooperation in the security sector; preferential tariffs, high-speed Internet and removing roaming tariffs.       

What we must do is to resolutely do our job and not listen to all kinds of political adventurers. The quicker is the progress we make, the quicker we will see the positive effects and the bigger the benefits will be. In the language of the Europeans, the principle operating is “more for more”. In our capacity of government, by daily work, we will continue bringing Moldova more and more closer to EU.   

Q: Among the EaP’s recommendations, there is the creation of a fiduciary fund for those three countries, as an instrument of development for a quick and flexible reaction of EU to crisis and post-crisis situations, as well as increasing the support for the true economic reforms.   

A: The recommendation by the European parliament reads about the successful implementation of the Investment Plan for Europe, about a mechanism dedicated to the associated countries and on the establishment of a fund for those three countries, through which public and private investments should be financed. The investments are vital for consolidating the growth in our countries. We have been promoting the goal of improving the transport infrastructure which connects Moldova to the European transport networks and we want Europe to invest more in this zone. The domestic resources are limited and these financing facilities would mean infrastructure projects, for instance, which are to allow us growing by over five percent each year.          

Besides, the European MPs speak about support to prevent misinforming campaigns and limit the effects of the cyber war. Moscow is directly mentioned for the aggressive actions which are not in line with the international law from the region. The backing for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), for access to the European energy system, development of partnerships in the education zone – these are another several extremely promising directions to strengthen cooperation. I have given just some examples, there are much more of them. 

Just I have earlier said, they show the constructive and ambitious agenda of the European Parliament and, in the years to come, we hope that it will be embraced also by other European institutions and the member countries. The summit’s agenda is more restricted, but it conveys a positive political message for the associated countries and the wish to optimize the Eastern Partnership, in order to bring more substantial and quicker results to citizens.     

Q: The Moldovan authorities say that about 35 per cent of the commitments taken in the Association Agreement have been transposed in the national legislation so far. In what sector does Moldova have debts?  

A: In the last two years, we have made progress in getting closer to Europe. Presently, we implement an Association Agreement with EU and this means working hard and putting aside excuses. We have a new Association Agenda and a new National Plan on Implementation of the Association Agreement for the next three years. I do not want to speak about debts, but about the fact that we have a quite clear idea about what should be done in order to advance more quickly in the implementation of the Association Agreement. I weekly chair the meeting of the Governmental Commission for European Integration. We have reduced bureaucracy, cut the number of ministries not in vain. We daily monitor the progress, we know where we should intervene and the political impetus of the summit will allow us to have more citizens of Moldova on our side in strengthening the pro-European option.    

Q: The agenda of the EaP is both ambitious and various and diverse. Which are the subjects with major economic and social impact for Moldova’s citizens?

A: Political proposals must be well-supported by economic initiatives, which are to directly meet the subjects we have put on the agenda. Our country project is the European integration. This implies progress in all sectors, beginning from democracy and rule of law state up to the improvement of the each person’s living standards. In general, not only in the relation with the Eastern Partnership, we backed the approach to focus on concrete things which can be delivered. We should analyze the Eastern Partnership Summit in the context of efforts we make to implement the Association Agreement, in order to show major progress to our partners and benefit from economic development and external reliability. Our goal is that we should be a model social state in the process of European integration.          

Q: In the context of the country’s energy security… What is the stage of the projects on inter-connection to the European energy system and when will we be able to say that we are independent from the viewpoint of energy security?  

A: We will be backed to become more independent energetically: this means connection to the European energy market and investments in infrastructure, which is to support such changes. Besides, we will be able to help more the vulnerable consumers, those who endeavour to pay the bills for the geopolitical games the others are making. Besides, EU commits to develop only those energy projects which will be adjusted to its priorities from the eastern neighbourhood. Just as you know, our most important commitment is to complete the Chisinau-Ungheni gas pipeline next year, which is to enable us integrating into the European market. Besides this project, we work also on the interconnection to the electricity network of Romania, and by extension, of the European Union. We are aware that, as we advance in energy projects, not only the price for consumers will drop, but also a great vulnerability for our country will disappear.     

Q: Some critics of the current governance put that the Association Agreement, including the component concerning the Free Trade Area, has offered nothing palpable to the country’s economy, and implicitly, to citizens. What is the real situation in this respect? 

A: Most citizens of Moldova believe that the integration into EU is the most correct way and I thank them for having embraced the only realistic and promising solution for our country. The benefits from the rapprochement with Europe are seen every day, in investments made, in hundreds of millions of euros which has come to the country. The country will record a 3.5-per cent growth this year, the IMF says it, and this is the result of the reforms we have established with the European partners and which we implemented after January 2016. Sixty four per cent of our trade is with the European Union. Besides, even if this is not a direct achievement of the Association Agreement, the free movement to EU is an achievement which, no matter how much somebody would like it, cannot be ignored and which should be defended against those who want another political orientation of the country. The benefits of the rapprochement with Europe are obvious and they will have to be defended at the next year polls.      

Just as I have said, it is up to us to do what we have promised and to bring more investments and resources to the country. Moldova is presently a country fundamentally changed for the better against early 2016 and this fact is the direct effect of the assuming of the European integration and overcoming the phase when they were only speaking about integration, without speeding up the enforcement of the reforms. 

Q: European Parliament’s recommendations clearly read that the Association Agreement is not the final point in the relations with EU. Can we describe this as a clear-cut sign of a future affiliation with the European bloc?   

A: The European Parliament recognizes our European aspirations and the right to apply and become members of the European Union, when we meet all political, economic and social criteria. Here it is not only about a signal, but about things said clearly, with subject and predicate. The most important thing is that the Association Agreement represents the best recipe for the country’s modernization and to achieve the level of development which is to allow us a successful political integration into Europe.  

At the same time, two months ago, the president of France said that the European Union’s enlargement was an essential factor for peace and stability on our continent. This fact can be used to impose, through the results we are to achieve in implementing the Association Agreement, an increased attention on behalf of European decision-makers for the enlargement to the East, besides the one concerning the Balkans’ zone. As I have earlier said, EU gets us, through consolidation of the Eastern Partnership, to the situation to win the bet of development, it’s true, not without work and difficulties.