Dear Ministers,

Dear Secretary General,

Dear colleagues,   

 

Almost one year ago, it was an extremely important moment for my country, when the Republic of Moldova took over the Central European Initiative Presidency for the first time.      

 

The Republic of Moldova is actively participating in the regional cooperation processes.

 

The years 2008-2009 have a great significance for us in this respect, taking into consideration the Presidencies to five Regional initiatives and organizations in Central and South Eastern Europe. In this sense, we undertook the CEI Presidency with great pride and full responsibility, being sure that this challenge will be successfully completed.

 

I am very happy to state that the priorities and objectives set up by the Moldovan CEI Presidency, although ambitious, were realized. The Moldovan Presidency worked hardly on the successfully accomplishment of the CEI Repositioning, on the development of the CEI – EU relations, consolidation of the cooperation between the CEI member states through a number of joint projects, as well as on sector cooperation by organizing several ministerial meetings.

 

Hereby, I would like to mention the CEI-EU consultations organized by the Moldovan Presidency; over one hundred projects approved by National Coordinators Committee; the Meetings in Chisinau of the Ministers of Transport, Tourism, Agriculture, the Round Table of Ministers of Economy, the CEI Summit Economic Forum, the CEI Youth Forum and two scientific Conferences; as well as the Meetings of Parliamentary Committees and Parliamentary Assembly. A short version of the Moldovan CEI Presidency Report is provided in your folders and after the Summit we will come with a full version of the Report.     

 

All those efforts and activities offered to CEI countries the possibility to become more involved in regional processes and definitely contributed to the advancement of the non EU member states in the European integration processes.

 

In its activities, the Moldovan Presidency followed the CEI Guidelines and Rules of Procedure, as well as the good practices, needs and opinions of all the member states. In this regard, the Republic of Moldova continued to promote closer cooperation with the European Union.

 

In this context, we would like to recommend to the upcoming CEI Romanian Presidency to continue the Moldovan Presidency efficient efforts, for closer relations with the European Union. On a certain level, we enhanced the participation to the EU-funded projects and established close working relations with the EU Programmes. The goal of becoming an instrument in the implementation of such Programmes should be followed. The access to the EU Community programmes and EU Agencies granted now to all CEI member countries represents an additional new opportunity in this sense.

 

At the same time, the CEI needs to continue its efforts for better institutional contacts with the European Commission, to invite the European Commission to actively participate to its meetings and to convene at least one meeting per year between the European Commission and the CEI National Coordinators. I am glad to mention that for the first time in the last few years a representative of the European Commission will attend the CEI Prime Ministers Summit, which I consider as a good start.

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

Stressing the important role of the CEI in developing and facilitating the regional cooperation and CEI - EU cooperation through concrete projects, the Moldovan Presidency pleads for the CEI continuation and further development of its current Operational Activities.

 

We support the idea of a flexible application of these CEI instruments in a user-friendly manner and adjust them to changing framework-conditions, all activities being targeted to the previous established key areas.

 

In this sense, in order to allow the CEI to achieve a larger impact in its Operational Activities, we consider absolutely necessary the gradually increasing of the CEI financial resources, this proposal being in line with Sofia CEI Summit.

 

Thus, I consider that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs should support the Decision of the Prime Ministers on increasing with 20% of the Cooperation Fund. In meantime, we appreciate this increasing as a first step and the Cooperation Fund should grow up gradually during next years. 

 

Dear friends,

 

Cooperation Fund means projects. We need much more projects to develop our cooperation and the cooperation between CEI with the European and International community. The CEI countries should provide more political will on that specific issue and in the same time, with our support, CEI should work on diversifying the sources for the projects, by working closely with EU and international donor’s community.  

 

Moving forward on budgetary issues, we have to approve today the CEI Cooperation Fund Budget for the year 2009, which my country supports very much and I would like to ask You to approve it at the end of this Meeting.

 

At the same time, I would like to mention the merits and good cooperation of Mr. Mykola MELENEVSKY, the CEI-ES Deputy Secretary General with all the CEI member states.

 

Dear colleagues,

 

We have to concentrate on the enhancement of the regional cooperation which is directly related to the development of good relations among our countries, to an increasing number of joint projects, and to the EU integration of the aspiring countries. We consider that CEI has to have an important role in these processes, by fostering political dialogue and cooperation among member states, by promoting more coordination of the activities, more focused on offering assistance to the non EU member states and providing good expertise and exchange of good practices.

 

By concluding, I have to express my pleasure with the text of the Final Document, that we have to approve today, and which will be adopted tomorrow by the CEI Prime Ministers. I consider that the Final Document reflects the maturity on approaches and activities, based on good cooperation and understanding among our countries, a document where for the first time we name our countries.

 

Dear Ministers,

 

Finally, I would like to wish good luck and very much success to the incoming Romanian Presidency and to thank You for the attention.