Moldova has joined the Stability Pact in June 2001 and is participating in many of the Stability Pact’s activities, task forces and initiatives, albeit often with an extended timeline and tailored arrangements.  This is the result Special Co-ordinator could deliver on the occasion of his visit to Moldova 1 March at a conference entitled “Republic of Moldova and the Stability Pact – Achievements and Perspectives”.  The conference was jointly organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Germany, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry and the Stability Pact.

Special Co-ordinator Busek also held bilateral meetings with members of the Moldovan Government, including President Vladimir Voronin, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev and Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan, who is also the Moldovan Stability Pact National Co-ordinator.  The topics raised were mainly in the domain of media, economics and fighting organised crime, where Erhard Busek strongly urged to continue with reforms, and increase their scope and if possible speed.   He made clear, that Moldova is lagging behind other Southeast European countries regarding its transformation process and is thereby loosing opportunities regarding investment and international assistance.

Moldova is participating in Stability Pact activities such as cross-border co-operation; in gender issues, fostering an increased participation of women in politics; in trade and investment promotion, including free trade; in energy and regional infrastructure as well as in the initiative to fight organised crime.  In the Regional Energy Market initiative, Moldova is an observer and aligned itself to the so-called Athens process designed to extend the legislation of the EU internal market for electricity and gas to South Eastern Europe.  Regarding free trade, Moldova unilaterally signed up to the Memorandum of Understanding on trade liberalisation in June 2001, and has since completed negotiations with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia-Montenegro.  An agreement with Bulgaria is in negotiation, while an existing Free Trade Agreement with Romania from 1994 has to be revised in order to be in line with Memorandum of Understanding of 2001.

Busek was very confident that Moldova’s involvement in the Stability Pact was instrumental for Moldova to familiarise itself with international bodies and for experiencing regional co-operation first-hand.  He also extended an invitation to the Moldovan authorities to continue their efforts to make maximal use of instruments for economic reforms and investment promotion.  Moldova has the chance of benefiting from experience gained by neighbouring transformation economies in South Eastern Europe.

Annex:          - Overview of Stability Pact activities involving Moldova
                    -  Special Co-ordinator’s Speech