STATEMENT of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum on the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and Visa Liberalization Process

Year 2013 has been regarded as a historical milestone for the Republic of Moldova and its partner countries within the Eastern Partnership dimension of the European political and economic integration processes.

Republic of Moldova is taking a truly European role usually played by EU Member States by hosting the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in Chisinau, where prominent leaders and representatives of civil society of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and European Union meet to coordinate European integration agendas, share success stories and further endorse the European pursuit of their countries. The recognition of this role is a positive signal for Moldova in the eve of the Vilnius Summit in November 2013 and further actions.

The enacting and, hopefully, future signing, of the Association Agreements with its constituent Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) and further progress on the visa liberalization agreements are laying the ground for spectacular political, economic and social transformations aiming at intertwining the societies, economies and government structures of the six European post-Soviet countries from the Eastern Partnership region, with those from the European Union. Along political, economic and social integration, these agreements are the embodiment of the newly-asserted sovereignty of the Eastern Partnership States. For Moldova, inasmuch as for Georgia and Ukraine, where the shift of this era are most probable to come soon, the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius bears very high stakes and very high expectations from the societies of these countries.

The success of the Vilnius Summit for Moldova depends directly on the credibility of its outcomes: the Association Agreements and the visa liberalization regime for Moldovan citizens. The language around these outcomes is, nevertheless, uncertain. In the most optimistic outcome, Ukraine will sign, while Moldova and Georgia will enact, or initial their Association Agreements and their constituent DCFTAs with the EU with prospects of signing in a period of up to several years. Visa liberalization may occur when the technical conditionalities are fulfilled and following political decisions in the EU.

The choice of association with the EU and further European integration over the Eurasian one has cost a lot of political effort in Moldova. European integration has for years been the center stage of political battles and debates, which have not been concluded yet: a rather important part of society is still uncertain of the choice and has not been convinced of the utility of future benefits of Moldova’s European integration.

Statement