| 14 January 2010 The starting of the negotiations Moldova - European Union on the Association Agreement, held in Chisinau, will give the fashion for all the 2010 political year, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and European Integration Minister Iurie Leanca said at a meeting of the ministry's press club on 13 January evening. At the same time, Leanca said that the institution which he leads will do its utmost to create a maximal comfort at the external level, so that the government be able to carry out the necessary domestic reforms. The head of the Moldovan diplomacy said that, in 2010, an important priority for the Moldova-EU relations will be the progressing in the sense of getting a liberalised visa regime for Moldovan citizens. Experts from Brussels are expected to visit Moldova next February. They will make an assessment of the stage of preparation necessary to start the dialogue in this respect, and I think that we are very advanced from the technical viewpoint, Leanca said. At the same time, referring to the prospects for signing the agreement on deep and comprehensive free trade with EU, Leanca stressed that this subject is more compound by the commitments which Moldova is to assume. For the time being, it is unknown when the concerned negotiations will start, but I think that we will be ready to begin these talks in 5-6 months, Iurie Leanca said. Another area of interest in 2010 will represent the support of the government's efforts to reform Moldova's security sector. This also represents a commitment at the international level. Iurie Leanca emphasized that the boosting of the bilateral relations with the neighbour countries - Romania and Ukraine - will continue in 2010 as well. Thus, as early as in January, we will have a string of important visits by officials from Romania, within which we will discuss a wide range of issues - from the political dialogue up to the cooperation in different areas, as well as the enforcement of the agreement on small-distance cross-border movement, the minister said. At the same time, we are to finish the demarcation of the border with Ukraine on certain segments, and will also consider subjects of common interest on the property of the two states. We will focus on issues regarding the Transnistrian conflict, as well as on the common European integration aspirations, the official added. Minister Iurie Leanca said that Moldova managed to have a pragmatic and constructive dialogue in the relation with Russia. We move in an ascendant way, and we are to focus on concrete issues, the official said. Leanca said that Moldova s relation with the USA is important on the diplomatic agenda of 2010, and the relations are to be deepened in more fields. One of the goals will be also the fostering of separate ties with the EU member states.
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