Hot on Ukraine’s heels, Moldova has been offered Visa Liberalisation Action Plan by theEuropean Union. The document was presented to the newly-formed pro-European government in Chisinau on 24 January, by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom.
In terms o the status of its visa Lliberalisation dialogue with the EU, Moldova is the second most advanced country after Ukraine among participants in the Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine). Kiev was granted a similar action plan in November 2010.
"This is a step further towards the long-term goal of a future visa-free regime that would facilitate people-to-people contacts and strengthen business, social and cultural ties between the European Union and Moldova," said Malmström while embarking on her two-day visit to Moldova. The action plan sets out all technical conditions to be met by Moldova before the possible establishment of a visa-free travel regime. It focuses on key areas, such as security of travel documents, border and migration management, public order and security – including the fight against organised crime and trafficking in human beings – as well as relevant external relations issues. Similarly to the document offered to Ukraine, Moldova’s action plan contains a first set of benchmarks concerning the policy framework (legislation and planning) and a second set of more specific benchmarks, covering effective and sustainable implementation of relevant measures, including concrete results on the ground.
Malmström underlined that before joining the so-called white’ Schengen list (countries whose citizens can stay in the visa-free Schengen zone for up to three months without a visa), Moldova has to meet all the strict requirements specified in the action plan.
By Joanna Sopinska
