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President Basescu: Romania backs Rep.Moldova-EU Agreements be signed before EU Commission, Parliament changed
President Traian Basescu said on Thursday Romania backs the need that the Republic of Moldova, after completely initialing the EU Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement, should also sign the documents before the European elections, i.e. before the European Commission and Parliament are changed.
'One of the issues we are going to back at the summit is related to the need that the Republic of Moldova, after the complete initialing in Vilnius, until the European Commission and the European Parliament are changed, therefore with these two institutions, before the European elections should also sign the two Agreements and, based on the Commission positive report, both the Council and the Parliament should modify the visa rules so that the Republic of Moldova should be able to quickly materialize the fact it has met the conditions for its citizens to travel to the EU freely', Basescu told the reporters at Bucharest's Henri Coanda 'Otopeni' Airport on leaving for the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius.
The Romanian president stressed the Vilnius Summit indicates to developments in the European Union's Eastern space, namely those region's states getting closer to the EU.
'Those to sign and to initial will show their final option of getting towards the EU', he underscored.
Basescu said Vilnius will see the signing and initialing of several important documents. In this respect, he said the Republic of Moldova and Georgia will initial the EU Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement, Georgia will sign an Accord for the participation in the EU crisis management operations and Azerbaijan will sign an Agreement on easing the visa rules.
'The main merit of taking the steps towards getting closer to the EU rests with the aforementioned states, be it the Republic of Moldova, Georgia or Azerbaijan. I cannot help but notice that the states in which Romania was in one way or another involved in supporting them have all made or will make the step forward, be it the Republic of Moldova, or Georgia, where the Embassy of Romania is a NATO contact point, in Tbilisi, or speaking of Azerbaijan, where our embassy in Baku is a NATO contact point for the relation with Azerbaijan. As far as we are concerned, our satisfaction is that the unreserved support we have rendered particularly to Moldova, but no less to Georgia is getting materialized, but the merit rests with these states', the Romanian leader underscored.
President Basescu on Romania's union with Moldova: Not now, but the time will come
Romania's President Traian Basescu on Wednesday said that Romania's union with Moldova will happen, but not now, yet the time will come for this to happen because 'blood is thicker than water.'
'Not now, but the right time will come. When a people has the opportunity of being together it will not give up. I am not necessarily counting on politicians to take this lead in the future, although the thoughts behind my entire action during my two terms in office in relation to Moldova was that maybe someday the two countries will unite. I know that moment is not now but with or without Moldova's joining the European Union, sooner or later, and I do not mean tomorrow, the union will happen because blood is thicker than water. Just take a look at the two Germanies that were separated only up to a moment,' Basescu told Romania's TVR1 public broadcaster.
Basescu was also asked who he thinks will be the politician after this term in office expires to move forward the unionist theme.
'I believe all will do at the opportune time. There are two very important things to be said here. Romania had a fundamental country project that was its accession to NATO, and then came a second important one, namely accession to the European Union. I believe union with Moldova should be a third important country project, no doubt about it. Nobody says this should happen brutally, because there is nothing that can be done against the will of the Romanians on both sides of the Nistru River,' said Basescu.
He added that it is important now for Romania to be the advocate of Moldova's European bid.
Asked whether or not union with Moldova poses risks in the relationship between Russia and the European Union, Basescu said there is no hindering a national objective.
'I believe it is now opportune for us to say that we have this objective if all Moldovans so want. I said so when I was in Chisinau. I am convinced that if a unionist current starts up in Moldova, Romania will say yes unhesitatingly. The next country project for Romania, which I believe we should publicly proclaim now is we want to reintegrate our country,' said Basescu.
Asked about whether or not he consulted with the Romanian diplomacy on this matter, Basescu said he is the one that sets the tone in Romania's foreign policy.
'I do not believe I had to seek anyone's approval. Do you believe Mr Corlatean would be against the union of the two Romanian states?' said Basescu.
He pointed out that this s not the time when we could win the union with Moldova.
'The thing we should capitalise on now is Moldova's chance of joining the preparations for accession to the European Union which, I say once again, will take ten years to complete. Many unpredictable things can happen during these ten years. But, as they say a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Forward to the European Union and then we will see what!' said Basescu.
The political declarations, some of them made in Bucharest have created additional obstacles and difficulties to the Republic of Moldova, Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean said at Parliament Palace on Thursday.
'In everything we, as the Romanian state, do, we obviously come to the support of the Republic of Moldova in its European integration process and its constant getting closer to Romania. I would very much like that the political declarations, some of them made here, in Bucharest should help this European and Romanian goal, not provoke difficulties or additional obstacles. Today, as seeing the complex European realities, today's realities and the realities inside the Moldovan society, we can speak of a track that can be predictable and irreversible, but which is not yet a European integration route and an increasingly consistent route for getting closer to Romania', Corlatean said.
The minister added: 'For this, we will have to work in relation to the developments that are complex and often complicated in Europe, in relation to the regional developments if we want to have some hope in the future. From this viewpoint, I once again underscore that the political declarations, some of them made in Bucharest in the prior years too have created additional obstacles and difficulties to the Republic of Moldova'.