Statele Unite isi vor spori ajutorul economic destinat Republicii Moldova, tara angajata intr-un proces de apropiere de Uniunea Europeana, a anuntat luni secretarul de Stat american Jonn Kerry, care a denuntat presiunile Moscovei asupra acestei foste republici sovietice, transmite AFP.
UPDATE: Liderii americani au multiplicat, luni, semnalele de sustinere pentru R.Moldova, cu ocazia vizitei la Washington a premierului moldovean. Iurie Leanca a avut o intalnire cu vicepresedintele american Joe Biden in cursul diminetii, la Casa Alba, dar presedintele Barack Obama a participat si el la intrevedere, potrivit administratiei americane.
"Presedintele a salutat prietenia solida si importanta dintre tarile noastre si a subliniat angajamentul profund al Statelor Unite in sustinerea aspiratiilor Moldovei", a explicat Casa Alba intr-un comunicat.
Atat Obama cat si Biden au "insistat totodata asupra sprijinului ferm al Statelor Unite pentru suveranitatea si integritatea Republicii Moldova in frontierele sale recunoscute la nivel international", potrivit aceleiasi surse.
Mai devreme, primindu-l de asemenea pe Iurie Leanca, secretarul de Stat John Kerry a anuntat o crestere a ajutorului economic american pentru R.Moldova.
"Vom furniza fonduri suplimentare pentru a ajuta Republica Moldova sa isi dezvolte competitivitatea", a declarat presei secretarul de Stat american, inaintea unei intrevederi cu premierul moldovean Iurie Leanca, la Washington.
Astfel, Washingtonul va debloca 2,8 milioane de dolari sub forma de ajutor economic suplimentar pentru Chisinau, ridicand la 7,5 milioane de dolari suma totala a ajutorului american.
In contextul in care Ucraina, care se invecineaza cu R.Moldova in partea de sud-vest, a pierdut controlul peninsulei Crimeea in favoarea fortelor pro-ruse, John Kerry si-a exprimat ingrijorarea si cu privire la atitudinea Moscovei fata de Chisinau.
"Imi pare rau sa spun de faptul ca Rusia (...) a pus presiune pe R.Moldova. Sunt provocari cu privire la sursele sale de energie si capacitatea sa de a face comert", a denuntat secretarul de Stat, adaugand ca Washingtonul este "ferm angajat in directia pe care R.Moldova a ales-o".
John Kerry urmeaza sa mearga marti la Kiev pentru a reafirma "sprijinul puternic al Statelor Unite pentru suveranitatea, independenta si integritatea teritoriala a Ucrainei" si a amenintat Moscova cu masuri de retorsiune daca aceasta isi va continua "invazia" si "agresiunea" in Crimeea.
Spre deosebire de fostul regim ucrainean al lui Viktor Ianukovici, Republica Moldova a semnat la sfarsitul lui 2013 un acord de asociere cu Uniunea Europeana, la fel ca si Georgia, care incearca de asemenea sa se desprinda de influenta Moscovei.
Principalul subiect de disputa intre Chisinau si Moscova il reprezinta Transnistria, o regiune a R.Moldova cu populatie majoritar rusofona, care si-a autoproclamat independenta in 1990. Un conflict armat, incheiat in 1992, s-a soldat cu sute de morti si interventia armatei ruse.
Rusia mentine de atunci militari in regiune, impotriva vointei guvernului moldovean si in pofida angajamentului asumat in 1999 privind retragerea acestora.
Evocand "evolutiile negative" din tara vecina Ucraina, premierul moldovean si-a exprimat la randul sau dorinta pentru o cooperare si un dialog "foarte activ" cu Washingtonul in domeniul securitatii.
Va prezentam integral declaratiile (in lb. engleza) sustinute in fata presei de secretarul de Stat american John Kerry si de premierul moldovean Iurie Leanca cu ocazia intrevederii de la Washington, difuzate de Departamentul de Stat al SUA:
SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon. I was going to say good morning, but I said what time - the morning has passed incredibly rapidly, but it’s my very real pleasure to welcome the prime minister of Moldova, Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, to Washington on a snowy day. He welcomed me to Moldova; we had a wonderful visit in December, and at that time I invited him to come here so we could continue our conversation.
The prime minister is leading a transformation in Moldova. We’re very pleased with the fact that they have continued their efforts to move towards their Association Agreement with Europe. We are pleased today to announce that we’re going to add additional funding to their effort to develop competitiveness, which is key to their businesses and to their economic prospects, and we’ll add another $2.8 million to an already $4.7 million for a total of $7.5 or so million to help in this particular transition. But the United States has provided very significant economic assistance, close to a billion and a half dollars over the course of this transition. We are very interested in helping the prime minister in his efforts to continue with his anti-corruption initiatives in the country, and we’re very, very excited by the leadership that he and his government are providing as they really determine their own future and make clear their determination to be part of a larger global trading mechanism.
While I was in Moldova I had an occasion to visit a really rather remarkable winery, quite a spectacular underground facility. This is one of the great products that they are now exporting, and we’re excited about the prospects of their ability to broaden that market. There are challenges. I regret to say that Russia, in some of the challenges we’re seeing right now in Ukraine, has put pressure on Moldova. There are challenges with respect to their energy sources and also their ability to trade. But we are committed firmly to the direction that Moldovans have chosen for themselves and their government has expressed a desire to pursue.
We will also, obviously, talk about the neighborhood, the region, and their near neighbor Ukraine and the events that are unfolding there. So I look forward to a very constructive conversation, a timely one as I depart this evening for Kyiv, and I’m very grateful to the prime minister for taking time to come to visit. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER LEANCA: Mr. Secretary of State, I am delighted to be back in Washington, the same delighted to be back in the State Department. And thank you very much for this invitation to come and to have a chance to discuss about bilateral relations.
We are indeed extremely grateful to the U.S. Administration, to the U.S. people, for the generous support they have provided us during this almost 23 years of independence, in building functioning institutions, a pluralistic society, a tolerant society, making sure that we are able to show the benefits of independence to the citizens of Moldova.
Today we are just supposed to launch the Strategic Dialogue, which I am sure will be an extremely important element within building a more functioning and a more democratic society in Moldova, and to address the direct challenges which Moldova and the region is facing.
I’m very happy that we were able to get to resume the activities of the trade commission to Moldova and the U.S. because we are indeed very interested to expand the access to new markets and to the U.S. market (inaudible) to see more American investment in the economy of Moldova. And the response which we got today from the USTR is extremely promising, so we are very interested to discuss about it.
Of course, we want to (inaudible) the government’s Strategic Dialogue, which we’ll launch today, to make sure that there are working groups on various issues – energy. Moldova is very keen to build an energy interconnection with European Union, and American support is critical in this respect. The same is about the security cooperation. As we see right now in the region, there is some very negative developments unfolding; therefore, our determination to have a very active security cooperation and dialogue is there.
You’ve mentioned, Mr. Secretary of State, the issue of Ukraine. And since Moldova is the neighbor of Ukraine – despite our small size we have a border the length of 1,242 kilometers common border with Ukraine – of course, everything that happens in Ukraine is extremely important to Moldova, to the future of Moldova.
The problems Ukraine experiences is of profound concern to us. Moldova, unfortunately, from the very first day of its independence, has a secessionist movement on its territory, and we know exactly what apparently this means. And unfortunately, we were not able to find a proper solution to it, so what happens today in Ukraine is just a reminder to us in the first place, but then show to our friends, that we need to do much more in order to address this issue, because if it’s not addressed in time, then it becomes very contagious. And what happens today in Crimea, in some eastern parts of Ukraine, are just a brutal reminder. So Moldova is very much in favor of the territorial integrity of the Ukraine, and we hope very much that all international mechanisms will be applied and a peaceful solution to this conflict will be found.
So Mr. Secretary of State, again, I am happy to be here. I’m looking very much forward to our dialogue. We remember your visit, the visit to Chisinau, but also underground, where they tasted the excellent Moldovan wine. And I hope very much that American consumers will have a chance to taste more of excellent taste Moldovan wine in the future.
SECRETARY KERRY: We hope so, for sure. I don’t think that will be hard with this crowd. (Laughter.) Thank you very much.
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