Moldovan foreign affairs minister sums up activities carried out, sets goals for 2022

Chisinau, 31 December /MOLDPRES/ - Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Nicu Popescu has summed up the activities carried out and established the goals for the 2022 year. The foreign affairs policy in 2021 in the 4D format: De-isolation. European Development. Dialogue. Diaspora, the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Ministry’s (MAEIE) press service has reported.  

„I am happy of the fact that, this year, our country found itself on a firm way to the European Union and along with President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, we promoted with the government team and the ministry an active foreign policy, aimed at taking Moldova out of the international isolation, which is to give the country a calm and stable context for reforms and European integration, re-establishment of the natural dialogue with our friends from abroad and the venturesome support of the Diaspora,’’ Deputy PM Nicu Popescu said.     

De-isolation.  

The official met and set direct contact with his counterparts from 17 European Union member states: Romania, France, Poland, Greece, Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Cyprus, Denmark, Portugal and Hungary. Each such meeting allowed promoting Moldova’s interests in the political, economic and security sectors.   

„Along with the European partners, we build bridges, in the direct and figurative senses. Diplomatic, institutional and cultural bridges, as well as energy, road, railway bridges, connections of electricity networks, coordination and assistance to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.   

I was honoured to host in Chisinau my counterparts: Edgars Rinkēvičs (Latvia), Jean-Yves Le Drian (France), Nikos Dendias (Greece), Jakub Kulhánek (Czech Republic), Ivan Korčok (Slovakia), Ann Linde (Sweden) and Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (Turkey)”, Minister Nicu Popescu said.   

European Development.  

„This year, together with the government team, we have managed to de-block the foreign financing for Moldova and due to this we will change the people’s living for the better. As much as 285 million euros is the value of the financial agreements confirmed on the sidelines of participation in the sixth Eastern Partnership Summit alone, within the national delegation led by President Maia Sandu. These funds, along with the generous assistance received from European partners, will transform our local communities, roads, hospitals, schools in the next years,’’ Nicu Popescu noted.        

The signing of these documents shows the opening of the European partners and reconfirms the benefits of our European integration course: the  financing agreement on the Contract for State Consolidation and Resilience for Moldova, worth 60 million euros, the letter of intent for the implementation of the project, Moldova’s Energy Efficiency: 57 million euros on behalf of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the letter of confirmation for the contract on financing with EIB, within which Moldova will receive a loan worth up to 150 million euros for the carrying out of the Moldova Roads IV project.      

The Moldovan diplomacy head highlighted that ‘’Our route towards EU was strengthened through the rapprochement with Romania, through the signing of the roadmap on the priority sectors of cooperation, through switch from words to deeds and consolidation of the communities of history, culture and language, through infrastructure projects meant to connect us to the single European area.’’     

Dialogue. 

Moldova closely cooperates with the states of the Associated Trio (Georgia and Ukraine), as well as bilaterally we have strengthened the dialogue with the United States, Russia, Turkey, Norway, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates and Kyrgyzstan. We have turned to good account opportunities of dialogue with the high-ranking officials of regional and international organizations: Council of Europe, NATO, United Nations, OSCE, Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).      

„Through dialogue, persuasion, insistent promotion of the national interest, through maintaining of opened communication channels, through edifying a non-conflict environment, we make our voice heard and promote our vision aimed at advancing the reforms and rapprochement with EU,’’ Minister Nicu Popescu stressed.    

Diaspora. 

Referring to the priorities for the Diaspora, Deputy PM Nicu Popescu said: ‘’I will speak out for the modernization and digitalization of the consular services – this will be the essential task in the New Year, along with the supplementing of consular offices at embassies and consulates, in order to enhance the quality and the speed of the services provided in the locations where the number of consular applications is high.’’     

The following documents were signed on this period: Moldovan-Lithuanian inter-governmental agreement on the mutual conversion and recognition of driver’s licences and the agreement in the field of social security with Greece, which allows Moldova’s citizens who worked in Greece to benefit from pension in this state. Also, the driver’s licences issued by Moldova and Germany will be able to be mutually recognized with the homologation of the theoretical exam, while the practical examination is to be compulsorily taken.     

„The consistent promotion of the decrease in the roaming costs is a subject in the focus, which I tackle at each meeting held with my counterparts from abroad. We will promote and negotiate this type of documents also with other countries where our citizens live,’’ Minister Nicu Popescu said.     

2022: Economic Diplomacy. 

In 2022, a priority of Moldova’s diplomacy will represent the boosting of the economic diplomacy for turning to good account its potential in the promotion of  products made in Moldova, increasing the number of tourists and attraction of investments to create jobs in Moldova.   

„In the last five months, we have proved that we are diplomacy of concrete deeds. Therefore, I would like, for the next year, that we mark together three essential points on our diplomatic map: continuous European integration and at high speed, maintenance of international peace around Moldova, which would allow the agenda of ambitious reforms demanded by citizens and consolidation of our friendships and partnerships in the world.   

I thank the colleagues from the government, all MAEIE subdivisions and our embassies who, although they are not seen in public, they work day after day, so that we have all information updated and efficiently promote Moldova’s national interest. Let us have good news in 2022! A Happy New Year!,’’ the Moldovan diplomacy head added.