December 12, 2013 - At the invitation of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Natalia Gherman, the Republic of Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, paid a visit to Ottawa. This is the first bilateral visit of a foreign minister of the Republic of Moldova to Canada.
Both ministers held a warm and constructive meeting in Ottawa. During the meeting, the two ministers reaffirmed the close and vibrant partnership between the Republic of Moldova and Canada.
Canada welcomed the establishment by the Republic of Moldova of an embassy in Ottawa. Both ministers agreed that the inauguration of a resident diplomatic mission would strengthen the bilateral relations between both nations, which are rooted in the values the two nations share and nurtured by the deep and multifaceted ties forged by the rich Moldovan-Canadian communities spread out across Canada from coast to coast.
During their meeting, attention was given to economic, trade and investment ties; the ministers noted their satisfaction with the conclusion of negotiations toward a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement. This agreement will provide better protection for Canadian and Moldovan investments in each other’s markets, strengthen overall economic ties and promote growth, employment and prosperity in both countries.
During their discussions:
- The ministers reaffirmed their respective country’s commitment to freedom, peace, stability and prosperity in Eastern Europe, and exchanged views on Moldova’s European integration. Minister Baird congratulated the Republic of Moldova on its initialling of an association agreement with the European Union at the Vilnius Summit in November.
- The ministers discussed the situation in Ukraine, and reiterated their support for the right of the Ukrainian people to assemble peacefully free from violence. The ministers called for a peaceful resolution of the current political crisis in Ukraine through dialogue between the Ukrainian government and the opposition and expressed their support for the European choice of Ukraine.
- The ministers discussed regional security and issues of mutual concern, including expanding the space for democratic actors and institutions in Eastern Europe.
- The ministers reaffirmed their support for the negotiations in the 5+2 format (includes the Republic of Moldova, Transnistria, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United States and the European Union) aimed at achieving peaceful resolution of the Transnistrian conflict on the basis of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.
The ministers concluded their meeting by expressing satisfaction with the strengthened cooperation between the two countries and agreed to continue on that path by enhancing bilateral relations through inter-parliamentary contacts and encouraging partnerships between businesses, institutions and people. The ministers agreed to explore ways to further facilitate bilateral political and economic relations.
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