Voronin calls for removing the "iron curtain" between Moldova & EU.

CHISINAU, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - Moldova's incumbent president,
Vladimir Voronin, has said that an "iron curtain" with the European Union
should be raised on Moldova's border with Romania.
"The European Union should solve the question of liberalization of the
visa regime with the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible," Voronin
said in an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass ahead of his forthcoming
working visit to Moscow that starts on Monday.
"The Iron Curtain erected between our country and the European Union
along the Romanian-Moldovan border combined with simultaneous granting of
Romanian citizenship is a source of great danger. Not only for Moldova but
the stability of the entire region," Voronin went on to say.
He said he was concerned with Romanian plans to step up the issuance
of Romanian passports to Moldovan citizens voiced by Romanian President
Trajan Basescu.
"Romania shouldn't use its advantage of being an EU member to bribe
Moldovan citizens with its passports thus deepening a split of our society
along the Dniester River," the Moldovan president said, hinting that
Bucharest's actions are aggravating the settlement of the painful Dniester
problem for Moldova.
"Romania as Moldova's neighbour and an EU and NATO member should
eventually legitimise our bilateral relations and sign a basic political
treaty and a border treaty with Moldova. It regards that in relation to
Moldova Romania should do the same as it has already done with regards to
other neighbours. As soon as Romania is ready to take this step, we will
be able to turn a blind eye even to the buzzwords and 'historic' unionist
declarations of the Romanian leaders. In fact, after that Romania itself
will lose interest in financing its political supporters in Moldova,"
Voronin explained.
"Finding a solution for these tasks will be a serious trial for the
European Union, especially for its security policy in the region. But I am
sure that with assistance form all Moldova's genuine European partners the
solution will be found, " the Moldovan president told Itar-Tass.
Despite the fact that monitors from the OSCE, the European Union, the
CIS and other international organisations recognized the April elections
as legitimate, the Communist victory in them triggered a wave of
opposition protests. On April 7, they grew into street violence. The
protesters destroyed the parliament building and the presidential
residence and hoisted the Romanian flags over their roofs. They were
calling for Moldova's unification with Romania. The Moldovan authorities
regarded that as interference in the country's internal affairs. They
expelled the Romanian ambassador and introduced a visa regime with Romania.
In the meantime, Moldova is not the only country that wants to
normalize its relations with the European Union. The Belarusian
authorities also seem to be keen to improve the country's relations with
the West. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External
Relations and European Neighbohood Policy, will arrive in Minsk on Sunday
at the request of President Alexander Lukashenko. The EU commissioner is
not coming to Minsk empty-handed. The European Union has allocated 10
million euros to Belarus to enable it to "improve the quality and increase
the production of Belarusian food products."
Prior to her visit Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that Belarus had
recently made steps in the right direction and the European Union had
appreciated it and invited Belarus to join the "Eastern Partnership"
program. She described it as a vital step forward in the EU-Belarusian
relations but noted that Belarus still had to develop democratic freedoms,
i.e. to create opportunities for representatives of civil society to work
and meet freely without any pressure or fears of being arrested as well as
to create conditions for local and foreign journalists to work freely and
distribute the products of their work without restrictions. She also added
that the European Union was ready to offer more aid in various spheres if
it makes progress on the path of democratisation.
"Our further relations will depend on what choice Belarus is going to
make," she said.
In Minsk, Benita Ferrero-Waldner will meet President Alexander
Lukashenko and Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov. She will deliver a speech
in front of representatives of the ruling authorities and Belarusian civil
society.

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