Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and European Integration Minister Iurie Leanca has represented Moldova at an enlarged meeting of the foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group's countries (V4+).

The Hungarian chairmanship of the Visegrad Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) offered to hold a joint meeting with the member states of the Eastern Partnership (EP) (Moldova. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine), as well as representatives of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Belgium, Sweden (the latter three represent the EU troika) and the European Commission.

The ministers expressed interest in a dynamic development of the Eastern Partnership. They showed commitment to the implementation of opportunities offered by the four topic-related platforms within the Eastern Partnership (Democracy, good government and stability; economic integration and convergence with the EU policies; energy security; inter-human contacts). The ministers also welcomed the progress recorded in the implementation of the partnership's bilateral and multilateral dimensions.

The foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group committed to back the development of democracy, state based on the rule of law and market economy in the EP member countries. They stressed the need to finance projects within the partnership, noting that the partner states will individually benefit from the prospect of liberalization of the EU visa regime, if they comply with the EU conditions.

Iurie Leanca referred to Moldova's activity within the Eastern Partnership, as well as to its priorities of European integration. He also emphasized the importance to start negotiations on the EU association agreement. Leanca underlined the importance of Moldova's domestic exercise to meet the EU requirements in order to launch talks on the visa regime. The minister reiterated the Moldovan authorities' ambition to get a clear European prospect for Moldova.

Within the event, Minister Iurie Leanca held bilateral metings with his counterparts from the countries of the Eastern Partnership and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, as well as European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fulle.

Iurie Leanca also participated in an informal meeting of the heads of the GUAM states (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova) to exchange opinions on the experience of cooperation in the Eastern Partnership, held within the meeting of V4+.