Latvia willing to share its European integration experience with Moldova
A parliamentary delegation headed by director general Andrei Fetescu paid a study visit to Riga, at the invitation of Latvian Saeima (Parliament), on 2-4 August, the parliament's media relations department has said.
The Moldovan parliamentary delegation had a string of meetings with Latvian Parliament Speaker Gundars Daudze, Director of the Saeima Chancellery Maris Steins, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Andris Berzins, members of Saeima's European Affairs Committee Boris Cilevics and Oscar Kastens, representatives of the Saeima's Chancellery and NGO's, several Latvian experts, including prime-minister's counsellor Gints Freimanis and other officials. The sides broached a string of subjects meant to consolidate the Moldovan officials' capacities, especially regarding the role of the Parliament and parliamentary commissions in the European integration process, staff management, financial management, parliamentary control, etc.
Within the meeting with Parliament Speaker Gundars Daudze, the head of the Moldovan parliamentary delegation Adrian Fetescu recalled the Latvian example, stressing that for Moldova, which was implementing democratic reforms, it was essential to examine and to make use of the experience of other democratic countries that have joined the European Union. "Over 75 per cent of Moldovans plead for European integration and we must take into consideration their opinions," Fetescu said. "Moldova and Latvia have same backgrounds and same problems in this respect. However, in the reform process, the Latvian Republic displaied much more perseverance, and now it a part of the big European family, while Moldova has to carry out this strategic goal of the ruling alliance."
For his part, Gundars Daudze said: "We are open for cooperation with the Moldovan parliament and we are willing to share the experience of our European integration and the implementation of legislative reforms." Furthermore, Daudze stated that the cooperation with the Republic of Moldova is a priority of the Latvian foreign policy. "From our own experience we know how important is to get first hand information in difference essential fields for European integration," Daudze said.
The visit represents a long-term commitment and is part of Support to Parliamentary Development in Moldova Project, financed by the Danish government, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which aims at increasing the parliament's efficiency. The UNDP project contributed to the elaboration and completion of the agenda for the study visit to Riga.
Moldpres
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