The eastern policy of the European Union, especially the Eastern Partnership Programme, has the purpose of supporting democratic and economic transformation in the neighbouring countries. Political transformation in Moldova proves that both the new authorities and the society are determined to enter the path of real cooperation, draw on the European experience and use the aid offered by the EU. Closer relations with the EU, integration with the European structures and, first of all, internal reforms can influence the new political and economic situation in the region. As remarked Andriej Popov, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Moldova, during the Kiev Europe-Ukraine Forum , determination of the authorities in Kishinev as regards integration with the EU is confirmed by rapidly progressing negotiations on the Association Agreement.
The two-day debates of the Forum will include a plenary session entitled: „European integration and Moldova. Challenges, directions, perspectives” and 10 discussion panels devoted to a wide range of economic and political issues, including for example: „What deserves investment in Moldova and why: possibilities and investment climate of the country”, „Agriculture and processing sector as advantages of Moldova”, „European integration and Moldova. Challenges, directions, perspectives” or „How to break through stagnation: Transnistria and perspectives for the region”.
The Forum will be attended by 150 guests from Moldova, the European Union, neighbouring countries and the United States. Among them will be representatives of governments, parliaments, business, local self-government, international organizations and analytical centres. The special guests of the Forum will be Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland and Vlad Filat, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova. The authorities in Kishinev will be also represented by Marian Lupu, Speaker of the Parliament, Valeriu Lazar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Iurie Leanca, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. The European Union will be represented in the Forum by Philip N. Remler, the Head of OSCE in Moldova and Ambassador Dirk Schuebel, a member of EU delegation for Moldova. Participation in the Forum was confirmed also by Aleksander Kwasniewski, former President of Poland, Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania, Titus Corlăţean, Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Cooperation of Romania, Elena Drapeko, Deputy to the State Duma of Russia, Evaldas Ignatavicius, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Ojars Eriks Kalninsa, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Latvian Parliament, Urban Ahlin, Vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swedish Parliament, Geneviève Gaillard, a French Member of the European Parliament, Markus Meckel, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Gerd Harms, Adviser to the Management Board of Enertrag AG, and Vladimir Socora, a US expert from Jamestown Foundation.
The organizers of the Forum are the Foreign Policy Association of Moldova and Foundation Eastern Institute in Warsaw, the organizer of the Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdroj.
