EU Ambassador to Moldova: We Want to See Progress in the Bank Fraud Investigation

The EU Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova said, since the period of almost no cooperation with the Republic of Moldova is over, now there is a historic opportunity for a multifaceted dialogue. “This is the best time for cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova, and we want to make the most of this window of opportunity. The visits of high-ranking officials of the member States are an expression of the readiness of the European Union to expand cooperation with the Republic of Moldova. There is a great will both in Brussels and in the member states. Over the past six months, we have already seen a number of positive developments. We are talking about strengthening the judicial system, a process that has been postponed for a long time. We are glad to see how this process is advancing, and the government’s readiness to attract aid of development partners,” the European official explained, trm.md reports. When asked about the conditions under which the European Commission offers 150 million euros to our country, the diplomat replied that the Republic of Moldova is one of the few states that benefit from this grant component. “Conditions which exist are related to the implementation of the Agreement with the International Monetary Fund, the reform of the rule of law, the fight against corruption, energy, which has acquired new importance recently. We are also talking about the sustainable economic development of the country and the implementation of the Association Agreement provisions,” Janis Mazeiks said. The EU Ambassador also said that the efforts of the Chisinau government to carry out reforms in a number of areas are highly appreciated. “As for the media, we see that changes are taking place, and we would like guarantees regarding the independence of the press. The best example is the reform of the judicial system, in which very good progress has been made. We’ve seen that the Government has paid attention to the Venice Commission recommendations. We would also like to see progress in the bank fraud investigation. It is unacceptable that the trial in this case has lasted so long. This is an area in which we insist, because it is also an aspect related to trust in the Republic of Moldova,” the diplomat said. The European official assured the citizens that the EU will continue to support the Republic of Moldova. “We are pleased to see that the Government has provided substantial support to the population in the form of subsidies, and this is largely due to the support of the European Union,” concluded Janis Mazeiks. Point