OREANDA-NEWS. June 23, 2014. Prime Minister Iurie Leanca has participated in the third forum European Union – Moldova, held in the northern Balti city.

Attending the opening of the event were Parliament Speaker Igor Corman, German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Muller, Moldovan cabinet ministers. The Balti forum brought together over 100 people, including officials from Germany, Poland, Romania and other countries, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

In the opening of the forum, Iurie Leanca said the latter’s organisation in Balti meant that the European integration – which is the most ambitious project on Moldova’s modernisation – was made all over the country, not only in Chisinau. In this context, the prime minister enumerated the key objectives of the European project: creating jobs and development of human, social and economic potential, fighting corruption with the highest determination possible, de facto and de jure accession to EU.

“Any responsible government is obliged to choose, for its country and nation, a reliable and viable development project. And I am sure that the European model of development, we have chosen, meets this desideratum best of all. Neither society, however, neither state system can be changed in the turn of a hand and Moldova is not an exception. Therefore, we see 27 June as a new start. A beginning of the vast, coherent and quick reforms, all the people are expecting,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister also referred to the projects carried out over the last years with the European Union’s assistance: “We have continued to restore roads, bring irrigation systems, set aqueducts and sewerage systems. Almost 45 per cent of the money provided by EU is used to rehabilitate roads and I am sure that, when travelling in the country, you feel the difference between what has been and what we have at present. We also invested in agriculture, rural development and projects on energy security and efficiency. In August 2013, we started the construction of the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, which is to be put into operation in late next August.”.

In his speech, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca also touched upon the fact that, starting from January 2014, all the obstacles to export had been lifted to the Moldovan wines, and the export quota had been doubled for six Moldovan products on 15 May.

Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Muller congratulated Moldova for the achievements attainted in its European integration: “Moldova has a European prospect. Moldova has always been part of the European Union’s history. Germany backs Moldova and we want to help you modernise your country.”.

Gerd Muller also said the Federal Government okayed Moldova signing the Association Agreement with the European Union.

The forum is organised by the Foreign Policy Association, in partnership with the Warsaw-based Centre for Eastern Studies and the Romanian Centre for European Policies from Bucharest. The first issue of the forum took place in Chisinau and the second in Berlin.