OREANDA-NEWS. June 24, 2011. Prime Minister Vlad Filat today held a news briefing focused on the outcome of his visit to Brussels, the government's communications and press relations department has said.

Filat said that the visit to Brussels was an important one, the agenda of this event covering meetings with: EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom, European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, Algirdas Semeta, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Michel Barnier, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule. On the sidelines of his visit to Brussels, the premier also met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as well as European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who will pay a visit to Moldova on 6 July, following an invitation by Vlad Filat.

"The agenda of the discussions covered a wide range of subjects. Yet, the emphasis was laid on Moldova's EU-integration aspirations. I was happy to hear the appreciations of the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom, who said that Moldova had displayed an imposing dynamism in the implementation of the requirements for the first stage of the liberalization of visa regime. Cecilia Malmstrom congratulated us on the unveiling of the first progress report on the liberalization of the visa regime, noting that the aforementioned document proves Moldova's efforts taken on the European integration path," Filat said.

The premier also said that presently, the European Commission is assessing the presented information. The EU Commission is to complete a report on the matter by September 2011. The third meeting of top officials involved in the negotiations of the liberalization of the visa regime will be organized soon after the report is published. The meeting will be focused on the steps due to be further undertaken by Moldova.

"Given the discussions held in Brussels on 23 June, I can ascertain that Moldova has entered a new development stage in the economic relations with the European Union. I am talking about two recent decision of paramount importance, adopted in Brussels, on the start of the talks on an agreement on the Common Airspace and on an agreement on a deep and comprehensive free trade area, as well as about the European Union's willingness to boost the cooperation with Moldova in the customs, fiscal and frauds' combating fields," the premier said.

The premier said that the European Commission had submitted to Chisinau a draft framework agreement project on strategic cooperation between the EU Commission and Moldova. "We are expected to set forth our stance on the document. A concrete action plan is to be elaborated when the document is signed. The document might be signed by the end of the year. European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, Algirdas Semeta, has accepted my invitation to pay a visit to Moldova on this occasion," Filat said.

The premier noted that the EU is willing to assist Moldova in the preparations for the talks on a deep and comprehensive free trade area agreement, in particular in the internal market and service fields.

Filat said that another important subject approached in Brussels was the Summit of the Eastern Partnership due in Warsaw in September. "We have great expectations from this summit. We aim at obtaining clear-cut European prospects and a new approach, based on the meritocracy principle," the premier noted.

The prime minister also said that the agenda of the discussions held in Brussels also covered other subjects, among which: Moldova's domestic situation and the settlement of the Transnistrian issue, on the light of the latest round of negotiations held in Moscow on 21 June.

"Our European partners have said that the outcome of the local general polls once again points at the pro-European aspirations of the Moldovan citizens. In the context, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule said that that the pro-European political formations should pay joint efforts for the citizens' benefit. It is a clear message, which is in consistency with the actions that we have taken so far and which needs to be further promoted," the premier said.

Filat said that the EU commissioner shares a similar stance on the election of the head of state, which should be carried out in line with the constitutional provisions.

"As for the Transnistrian settlement, we share the same position with the European partners. The five plus two negotiations should be held until a final solution is identified, in consistency with Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the premier said.

Vlad Filat said that his visit to Brussels once again convinced him that Moldova has many friends, who are truly willing to assist the country in accomplishing the set goals.