The first round of negotiations on the Moldova - European Union Association Agreement was held in Chisinau today. The delegations of the two sides were led by Director of the European Commission, External Relations Directorate General for the EU Gunnar Wiegand and Deputy Foreign and European Integration Minister Natalia Gherman.

After the plenary meeting, the negotiators divided into four topic-related groups, as follows: 1. Political Dialogue and Reforms, Co-operation on Foreign and Security Policy; 2. Economic, Sector and Financial Cooperation; 3. Justice, Freedom and Security; 4. People-to-People Contacts. The discussions were focused mainly on an exchange of the sides' optics on the structure and defining elements of the future association agreement. In other words, the sides considered a roadmap of the talks. Afterwards, concrete and detailed proposals are to be made, which will be debated at the next rounds of negotiations, and will actually give substance to the Agreement's content.

Gunnar Wiegand and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and European Integration Minister Iurie Leanca held a news conference at the end of the negotiations.

"There was a very good start," the head of the team of European negotiators said. While generally assessing the carrying out of the talks, Gunnar Wiegand said that "if to judge by the first round, it remains to congratulate the colleagues from Moldova for a very good preparation." The high European official said that "the discussions did not have a symbolic character, but were of substance. We found a high degree of convergence of the sides' positions: we share the same values which will be at the basis of the future Agreement." Gunnar Wiegand stressed that the sides set a very ambitious goal by the starting of the negotiations which are to end with the signing of the Agreement: ensuring a greater rapprochement between Moldova and the European Union, which will result in substantial benefits for the Moldovan citizens.

While expressing satisfaction with the event held in Chisinau, the head of the Moldovan diplomacy said: "The first round of negotiations on the Moldova - European Union Association Agreement is also the first diplomatic event of 2010 in our country. And not just some event, but en event with special significance, which, - I am confident - will also lead the fashion of the entire 2010 diplomatic year. One of the key elements of the European integration dimension, set by the government, is thus being accomplished, and namely the starting of talks on the Moldova-EU association agreement." The minister emphasized that the launch of the negotiations is in agreement with the wishes of the authorities, and to the same extent, with those of the entire society. Leanca said that the Moldovan side is aware of the effort it is to make to achieve the European integration objective: "I do not want to conceal: our horizon of expectation is great. We have to cover a long and difficult road, but what seams to me especially important is the fact that Moldova and EU go this road as realistic partners, with full confidence in each other, and which know exactly what they have to do to reach the final. And this final - I say this with full conviction - should be and will be the one which we want!"

The next round of talks will be held in Brussels in late March 2010.