Priorities of Presidency of the Republic of Moldova at the CEI

The Summit of the CEI Heads of Government in Sofia marked a new phase in the CEI development. The Decisions adopted at the meeting have set the strategic orientation for the future of the organization and serve as the guiding lines for the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova.

In its activity, the Moldovan Presidency will follow the CEI Guidelines and Rules of Procedure, the results and conclusions of the CEI Working Groups and Task Forces, as well as the good practices, needs and opinions of all the Member States. In this regard, the Republic of Moldova will continue to promote closer cooperation with the European Union. One of the main priorities of the Moldovan Presidency is the support for EU aspirations of the CEI non-EU member states, as reformulated in the CEI mandate. Building a new Europe, without the dividing lines, is impossible without the inclusion of all states of the continent into a single area of political, economic and cultural development and cooperation. For this reason, the initiatives directed towards the adjustment of the CEI non-EU members to European values and standards will be strongly supported. Special attention will be paid to the promotion of common projects between the EU and non-EU CEI member states related to the know-how exchange, which proved to be the most efficient and stimulating mechanism for the transmission of best practices in all areas of development.

In order to be more effective and influential, the CEI must attain a stronger degree of recognition and visibility. Having this in mind, the Republic of Moldova will take necessary steps in order to raise the European public’s awareness about the organization. These actions include the establishment of close contacts with the media and the non-governmental sector, development of an elaborate web page of the Presidency, organization of projects with stronger regional and national impact, improvement of the participation at the meetings, especially at the highest level. One of the instruments that could help to achieve this end is the organization of the Meeting of the Foreign Ministers immediately before the Summit of the Heads of Government of the CEI states.

Another priority of the Republic of Moldova is the development of closer cooperation within the Troika, assuring the continuity in the CEI activities. In this regard, the Moldovan Presidency will continue the efforts of the Republic of Bulgaria. Such cooperation as well as the simultaneous Chairmanship by the Republic of Moldova of the CEI, SEECP, MAG RACVIAC, CEFTA and the SEE Health Initiative will create the premises for synergy, mutual reinforcement and a clear division of labor between all regional actors.

The Moldovan Presidency will have the responsible task of implementing the structural changes outlined in the Decisions of the Summit, setting the base for the future organizational framework of the CEI. Thus, the Republic of Moldova will assist the Secretariat with the establishment of the network of experts and will stimulate the initiation of its activity in the shortest time possible. The elimination of the CEI Working Groups and the reduction of the number of the CNC meetings should free financial resources for more practical-oriented projects and meetings.

In line with the new streamlined areas of activities, the Moldovan Presidency has prepared a number of events, which include, but are not limited to, the following objectives.

Objectives

  • Implementation of the Decisions on CEI Repositioning
  • Development of the CEI — EU dialogue and consolidation of the European perspective of the CEI non-EU member states
  • Exchange of experience between the CEI EU and non-EU member states through the implementation of joint projects and transfer of know-how
  • Coordination of the establishment of the network of focal points
  • Promotion of the awareness about the CEI at the national and international levels
  • Strengthening the cooperation and good neighbor relations between the participating states
  • Promotion of democratic values and European standards as a firm development mechanism for the entire region
  • Cooperation with the South East European Cooperation Process, Regional Cooperation Council and other regional arrangements, with the aim of strengthening the cooperation, stability and development of the Central and South Eastern Europe and avoidance of overlapping in their activity
  • Coordination of the CEI activities agenda with the participating states, taking into the account the political priorities of the region at that time
  • Creation of a favorable framework for common solutions to specific problems that the states of the region are encountering