Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-23-Speech-3-168"
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"en.20050223.15.3-168"2
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".
Mr President, on behalf of the Presidency, I am very grateful to Parliament for the great attention that you are paying to the forthcoming elections in Moldova. The Presidency is constantly and closely following developments in the political situation in that country, and in particular the preparation and conduct of the elections on 6 March. The parliamentary elections in Moldova will also be observed by the OSCE. The Moldovan Government invited international observers a long time in advance, and I hope that Members of the European Parliament will also take part in this observation mission.
As a future neighbouring country to the European Union, Moldova is of great importance to us. You will not be unaware of the fact that the electoral process is giving rise to certain concerns, particularly as regards the position of the media and the way the opposition is treated. The European Union examined all these issues with the Moldovan Government last autumn, during the visit of the Troika. We clearly reaffirmed that democratic practices must be respected and that the elections must be free and fair.
More recently, on the subject of the elections, the European Union issued a declaration, the principal elements of which are as follows. The European Union reminded Moldova that its relations with the EU would depend on its commitment to common values. This morning there has been a lot of talk about values and democracy in the Mediterranean context, and President Yushchenko has to some extent given us a master class in democracy and values. It is therefore important that Moldova should rejoin Europe in this area too.
The European Union has appealed to the Moldovan authorities to ensure that these elections take place in an open and fair climate, that the media coverage of the election campaign is pluralist and impartial, and that the State administration remains neutral towards all candidates and their supporters. The Union has also asked the authorities to ensure that the votes of expatriates are treated properly and impartially. Finally, the Union has appealed to the Moldovan Government to take into account the concerns raised by the OSCE’s fact-finding mission and to implement the joint recommendations established by the OSCE and the Venice Commission in 2004.
Last but not least, the issue was examined at the meeting of the EU-Moldova Cooperation Council held on 22 February in Brussels. Democratic reforms and the holding of free and fair elections are also important components of the EU-Moldova Action Plan adopted by the Cooperation Council in the context of the European neighbourhood policy. The action plan also refers to the subject of human rights in the context of our neighbourhood policy, a fact which was emphasised by Mrs Ferrero-Waldner.
I can assure you, Mr President, that the Presidency will be closely following the electoral process in Moldova, which is an important step in the European future of that country, which is now faced with the choice of demonstrating that it is ready, one day, to rejoin the family of Europe."@en1
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