Sandu explains what she expects from cooperation with Ukraine
photo: Office of the President
Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that she had managed to establish a dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities and discuss the main issues not only of relations between Moldova and Ukraine but also the joint plans of the countries in the process of European integration.
NewsMaker reports.
Sandu also said that she had invited the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi to visit Chisinau.
Sandu noted that it was the first meeting between the presidents of Moldova and Ukraine in the last five years. "The meeting itself is a big step to establish a dialogue," she said, adding that she had discussed with Zelenskyi the fight against corruption and smuggling, simplifying the procedure for crossing the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, building a modern highway connecting Kyiv and Chisinau, and much more.
According to Sandu, she separately discussed with Zelenskyi the construction of new hydropower plants on the Dniester. "It's important to continue the dialogue on this issue in order to preserve the Dniester. We've discussed establishing government working groups to deal with these issues," Sandu said, noting that she insists on establishing a working group on environmental issues, which should include experts from the European Union.
"We also agreed to resume high-level dialogue and establish a presidential council to resolve issues of bilateral relations. We discussed mutual liberalization of exports and procedures that will allow carriers of the two countries to cross the border without special permission. We also discussed the possibility of allowing Moldovan and Ukrainian citizens to cross the border only with an ID card," she added.
In addition, Sandu said that she had discussed problems with Moldovan state facilities in Ukraine with Zelenskyi. "I asked for help in investigating cases with Moldovan property in Ukraine. We are talking about quarries, sanatoriums, embassies. Zelenskyi promised that law enforcement agencies of Ukraine would investigate," she said.
As reported, Moldovan President Maia Sandu paid an official visit to Ukraine on January 12. This is Sandu's first foreign visit since her election and the first visit of the President of Moldova to Kyiv since 2015.
