| 2 July 2007 The Moldovan authorities reiterate the aspirations for European integration and their readiness to join the European Union in its efforts to build a European area of prosperity, stability and unity. The statement was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration following the taking over of the presidency of the EU by Portugal on 1 July. According to the Ministry, Moldova’s priorities in the relations with the European Union during Portugal’s EU presidency are: to strengthen the political relations with the EU; to finalize the procedures for obtaining autonomous trade preferences; to improve the cooperation in the energy sector by jointly implementing the Energy Strategy, and to find new possibilities of cooperating with the European Investment Bank to develop infrastructure.
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