The expertise provided by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to Moldova is essential in the efforts to advance reforms and to ensure justice enjoys confidence, Head of Parliament Andrian Candu said in a meeting with the head of the PACE Monitoring Committee Stefan Schennach, IPN reports.

The Speaker stated that a series of actions designed to strengthen confidence between the Moldovan authorities and the authorities of Comrat have been taken lately. The working group between Moldova’s Parliament and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia will start work this week. In the first meeting, the experts will agree the agenda, with the socioeconomic and legislative issues being high on the list of priorities.

Andrian Candu also said that in the immediate period, Parliament will adopt the new Law on the Prosecution Service in the second reading. This is one of the main undelivered promises of those made by Moldova to the Council of Europe.

Stefan Schennach welcomed the constitution of the working group between Moldova’s Parliament and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia and encouraged the authorities to continue the process of democratizing society and to make sure that Moldova’s commitment to the Council of Europe are fulfilled. He said that within the visit he made to Penitentiary No. 13, he examined the detention conditions and discussed with ex-Premier Vlad Filat and ex-MP Grigore Petrenco and their lawyers.

The official noted that at a meeting of the PACE Monitoring Committee in January 2016, he will present a report on the functioning of the democratic institutions and observance of human rights in Moldova.