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Bucharest, May 15 /Agerpres/ - Romania will not stop upholding the idea that the Republic of Moldova must be included in the European Union, irrespective of how the relations between the two countries will develop at a governmental level, and the process of granting the citizenship will be speeded up, said President Traian Basescu on Friday in the speech he delivered at the official opening of the first Forum of the Local Authorities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, which is held in Piatra Neamt. 'Irrespective of the relation at a governmental level, Romania will not stop upholding the idea that the Republic of Moldova must be included in the EU. One of our major aims in the past few years has been for us to give a political position to the Republic of Moldova among the group of states in the Western Balkans with a view to its accession to the European Union. Irrespective how the relations at the level of the states will develop, we are not going to change our policy. We will go on being unreserved supporters of a process by which the Republic of Moldova should become part of the EU as the Republic of Moldova is a European country,' said President Basescu. He pointed out the fact that the Moldovans were part of the culture and the developments the Europeans had in the course of centuries, a reason for which their place is in the EU. Traian Basescu said that the process of granting the Romanian citizenship would be speeded up. 'Our decision to speed up the processes of granting the Romanian citizenship to the citizens and their families, who were abusively deprived of the Romanian citizenship, is a serious process, a process we do not negotiate with anybody and a process whose speed will increase with every passing week,' said the Head of State. On the other hand Basescu said that, following the violation of the human rights and because the position of the Chisinau authorities to Romania, one might delay negotiating a new agreement that should aim at making it easier to issue visas for the Moldovan citizens. 'I want you to know that, during the time that has elapsed since the elections in the Republic of Moldova till now, Romania has pleaded with all the courts of the European Union for the negotiation of a new agreement on making it easier for the Moldovan citizens to get their visas. Unfortunately, because of the violation of the human rights in the Republic of Moldova but also because of the position to Romania, it seems that this agreement will not be negotiated soon. Maybe the power in Chisinau thinks, if not of Romania, at least of the interests of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and should again adopt a behaviour that is quite normal for a country aspiring to have relations with the EU,' said Basescu. He added that Romania and the Republic of Moldova had a common history, language and traditions even if this runs counter to the 'latest' ideology of Chisinau. 'Even if a border separates us, even if we are two independent states, the Romanians will never stop thinking that the Moldovans are their brethren,' said Basescu. In Piatra Neamt about 150 city mayors in Romania and the Republic of Moldova attend the first Forum of the Local Authorities, which is organized by the Department for Relations with the Romanians Everywhere of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Association of Cities in Romania. The talks focus on the administrative decentralization in the fields of public health, culture and social assistance, the development of local partnerships for projects with European financing.
[Source:
Romanian National News Agency
AGERPRES
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