High-ranking officials of the Republic of Moldova authorities and national public institutions involved in the programmatic activities of the Action Plan, as well as representatives from the Council of Europe Secretariat and the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, participated in the first Steering Committee Meeting of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021-2024. The event took place on 22 November 2022 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, bringing together over 50 participants.

Claus Neukirch, Director of Programme Co-ordination, Council of Europe, thanked the national stakeholders for their commitment, active involvement, and fruitful cooperation in implementation of the Action Plan and welcome the results achieved so far. 

“The Council of Europe has been continuously supporting the Government of the Republic of Moldova, in fulfilling its obligations as a Council of Europe member State by bringing legislation, institutions and practice further into line with Council of Europe standards in the areas of human rights, rule of law and democracy for the benefit of the Moldovan citizens. The Republic of Moldova will now require additional support in implementing its EU accession agenda in areas of Council of Europe expertise based on Council of Europe monitoring recommendations”, was underlined by the Director of Programme Co-ordination.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Victor Lapusneanu, Head of Multilateral Cooperation Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. In his welcoming address, he outlined the continuous support of the Council of Europe, and the expertise and assistance it has been provided over the years.

“Despite challenges we are facing, especially the energy crisis, the refugee situation, and the pressure on national capacities, we are fully committed to the reform agenda. We believe that the Action Plan serves as a strong mechanism to align our legislation and practices to European standards. The government is working on justice reform aimed at strengthening the rule of law, ensuring the independence and efficiency of the judiciary, and improving the legal framework. We also make sure that the fight against corruption is moving forward and that national authorities have the necessary capacities in this process”, he mentioned.

On 22-24 November, the Director of Programme Coordination, Claus Neukirch held several bilateral meetings with national authorities to discuss in detail further steps and active involvement of all stakeholders in the reform implementation process on the path of the Republic of Moldova alinement to European standards. The Moldovan counterparts reiterated their full commitment and their readiness to continue close co-operation with the Council of Europe through the implementation of the current Action Plan.