| 22 May 2010 On 19-20 May 2010 Micheline Calmy-Rey, Federal Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation paid two-day working visit to the Republic of Moldova.
Within the meeting of Micheline Calmy-Rey and the head of Moldovan diplomacy, Iurie Leanca, the key issues of the bilateral relations between Moldova and Switzerland were addressed and a lot of issues of mutual concern were discussed. Iurie Leanca presented a general assessment of the current status of bilateral cooperation and thanked the Swiss authorities for the technical support provided to the Republic of Moldova. Fifty technical and humanitarian assistance projects of a 20 million dollars value have been funded within the last 10 years through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The projects have been implemented as part of the Moldova’s general democratization and European integration processes. Iurie Leanca spoke in detail about the main objectives of the domestic and foreign policy promoted by the Moldovan Government, stressing the actions taken with a view to meeting the necessary standards for EU accession. In the context of launch of the Extensive Program for Institutional Capacity Strengthening within the East Partnership, the Swiss Confederation was invited to contribute as a donor to the preparation of Moldovan public institutions for the implementation of the prospective Moldova-EU Association Agreement. Switzerland was also invited to join the Common Visa Application Centre in Chisinau in the near future. This would ease the efforts of Moldovan citizens who want to travel to Switzerland. M. Calmy-Rey shared the vision of a strengthened multidimensional cooperation between Moldova and the Swiss Confederation and welcomed the Moldovan Government’s reforming and democratic efforts. The Swiss Minister assured that her country would continue to support these endeavors through material projects. As a sign of appreciation of and interest, the Swiss side decided to organize yearly Meeting of the Swiss Ambassadors to the Central and South-East European countries in this period in Chisinau. Iurie Leanca delivered a speech in the opening of the meeting today, in which he thanked the Swiss counterpart for having made this symbolic decision. He also presented the vision of our country on a number of topical international issues. The Minister answered a series of questions regarding Moldova’s domestic issues and foreign policy. In the context of a strengthened legal framework of bilateral relations, Micheline Calmy-Rey and Iurie Leanca signed the Visa Facilitation Agreement between the Government of Moldova and the Swiss Federal Council, the Agreement between the Government of Moldova and the Swiss Federal Council on Repatriation of Illegally Residing Persons and the Protocol for its implementation.
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