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In Chisinau, a Parliamentary Assembly of Poland and Moldova was set up. Grzegorz Schetyna, Marshal of the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish parliament) and Marian Lupu, President of Parliament of Moldova, signed the statute of the Assembly. Apart from the statute, they also signed a joint declaration which obliges Poland to actively support pro-European aspirations of Moldova in the forum of EU institutions. The Polish-Moldovan Parliamentary Assembly will be a third such initiative, next to the Polish-Lithuanian and Polish-Ukrainian.
R. Sikorski with the Polish Sejm building in the background; author: PolandMFA; source: flickr.com
An inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of Poland and Moldova was held in Chisinau on Monday. It was chaired by Grzegorz Schetyna and Marian Lupu. Not only was the statute of the Assembly signed, but also the joint declaration which confirms the special involvement of Poland in support for the European integration of Moldova and visa liberalisation. Marshal Schetyna called Moldova an example of ‘the success of the European Neighbourhood Policy’ and emphasised that the initiative of setting up the Assembly right now, at the beginning of the Polish Presidency, has an obvious context and ‘becomes a part of our governmental and parliamentary priorities of leadership in the Council of the European Union.’ The presidium of the Assembly is to meet in Chisinau in September, while the first session of the newly created institution will take place in Warsaw in January 2012.
The Polish Sejm so far has set up only two institutions of this kind: with Lithuania and Ukraine. The fact that the third Parliamentary Assembly was inaugurated with Moldova becomes a part of the Polish foreign policy priorities established by Radek Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Moldova – in the Minister Sikorski’s plan– is to become a proof that the Eastern Partnership achieved success. Thus, Sikorski, whenever he can, refers to the positive example of Moldova and, as well as he can, enhances the pro-European course of Chisinau. Though one should not expect the Parliamentary Assembly to become a milestone on the way to the European integration of Moldova, one should be glad that there is a new initiative, which improves and strengthens our relations. And all of this for the good of the Eastern Partnership… may it be so!
Source: Onet, Press Office of the Sejm, Embassy of Poland in Chisinau
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