European officials’ visits shouldn’t be only political tourism, opinion

It is important that the visits paid by European officials to Moldova be not only political tourism as they should bring definite results, stated journalist and political commentator Dumitru Chubashenko. In the program “Replica” on Prime TV, he said that he does not yet see the results of these visits, Info-Prim Neo reports. A number of political commentators and lawmakers were invited to the program to discuss the visit made last week to Moldova by the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, which was succeeded by the visit of the Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on December 2 and 3. Democratic MP Igor Corman said the relations with Poland are very important because this is an active European country and a regional leader. Furthermore, the Polish authorities were among the initiators of the Eastern Partnership, of which Moldova forms part now. “We have very good bilateral relations. Poland is a traditional supporter of Moldova, which assists us on the path to European integration. The President’s visit confirms this support,” he stated. Liberal-Democratic MP Valeriu Strelet said that Bronislaw Komorowski’s visit forms part of the series of actions taken by the European partners with the aim of discovering Moldova. “Poland is one of the best friends from the EU. The reforms done in Moldova are treated seriously by the European partners. An official of such a rank would not waste his time visiting a state without European prospects,” he stressed. Foreign policy expert Eugen Revenko said that if we didn’t have such visits this would be a reason for concern and the importance of this last visit shouldn’t be diminished as the Polish people support Moldova a lot. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk even discussed Moldova’s problems with the German administration in Berlin. The Polish President arrived in Chisinau in the evening of December 2. He will have a meeting with Moldova’s President Nicolae Timofti. There will be signed two bilateral cooperation agreements. Bronislaw Komorowski is the second Polish President who visits Moldova.