The signing of the Berlin Declarartion on 25 March 2007 represents a step forward in the process of European Union's enlargement, and an opportunity for the countries wishing to join EU. Hungary will help Moldova to take advantage of this possibility, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly (parliament) Katalin Szili said at a today's news conference.

Katalin Szili said that Hungary is interested in the EU's enlargement, and that its priorities are the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine. "There is absolutely no doubt that Hungary will support Moldova in the final phase of the integration process," Szili specified.

The Hungarian speaker enumerated several aspects in which it has so far contributed to the advance of the democratisation process in Moldova. In particular, Katalin Szili emphasized the appointment of several Hungary-born officials in Moldova and the opening and coordination of a Single EU Visa Issuing Centre in Chisinau in the near future.

For his part, Speaker Marian Lupu said that the two countries' legislatures systematically collaborate, and that the cooperation agreement signed in 2005 was extended for 2007 too.

Lupu stressed that he established with his Hungarian counterpart concrete ways to collaborate on the regional and international dimension. He said that new methods of interparliamentary cooperation in the European framework will be applied, especially in the context of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Western Europe Union and the committee of the heads of the EU member states' commissions for European affairs.

Asked whether Chisinau speaks for Hungary being Moldova's advocate in the EU accession process to promote the country's interests in Brussels, Lupu said the relations between the two countries have a special value. "It does not mean that we will follow a narrow path in the dialogue with the EU member states. A country which aspires to European integration should not have advocates but friends, and Hungary is a friend which has asserted itself in a special way during the previous period," Marian Lupu said.

The Hungarian speaker is on a 29-30 March official visit to Moldova. // Moldpres


Publication date: 30 March 2007   

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