Moldova-North Carolina bilateral cooperation committee holds meeting in Chisinau

Chisinau, 17 May /MOLDPRES/ - We are grateful to people from North Carolina, who in 1999 expressed openness and willingness to edify bridges of understanding, friendship and cooperation with Moldova. Thanks to this openness, at present, after two decades of unique friendship, we can speak about a successful collaboration both between people and between universities, schools, public institutions and other structures from Moldova and North Carolina. Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Tudor Ulianovschi made statements to this effect at a meeting of the Moldova-North Carolina bilateral cooperation committee, held in Chisinau, the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry’s press service has reported.  

Tudor Ulianovschi said that the Committee’s meeting in Chisinau represented a nice opportunity to discuss the results already achieved in the collaboration with the North Carolina state, as well as a possibility to consider new opportunities of cooperation and projects due to be implemented in continuation. In the context, the Moldovan diplomacy head stressed that, to optimize the bilateral partnership, besides the decision to sign the revised version of the memorandum of principles and procedures between Moldova and North Carolina state, the Chisinau authorities proposed enhancing the level of representation of the Moldovan side in the joint bilateral commission, so that the office of co-head on behalf of Moldova be held by the foreign and European integration minister. Based on proposals received from diverse institutions, as well as American partners, the sides took a decision to set up the Consultative Committee of partnership, besides the General/Executive Committee.    

„I want to reaffirm with all responsibility that Moldova is prepared to turn to good account the entire current potential of cooperation with the North Carolina state. The successful results of the bilateral committee’s work not only strengthen the strategic dialogue between our countries, but can also serve as a platform for additional partnerships in new cooperation sectors. We want to encourage the business community from North Carolina to invest in Moldova and better discover our country as tourist destination,” Minister Tudor Ulianovschi added.   

For his part, U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Dereck J. Hogan said that the citizens of Moldova and the USA had fully benefited from this sustainable relation at different levels. “We have invested so much in Moldova, as we trust its potential. The relation between Moldova and the United States is a connection which cannot be broken,” the American diplomat emphasized.  

In the context, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall noted that, following the discussions held at the meeting, the memorandum of understanding would be extended for another five years. The American official said that “the procedure of signing, in fact, is a symbolic step, as our friendship has been proved during years through concrete examples and facts and can represent a model of cooperation for other nations and countries.” Marshall also said that the contracts between people were primordial in the Moldova-USA partnership, which makes the latter be vibrant and sustainable.