On April 24, 2012, a meeting between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pridnestrovie Vitaly Ignatiev and representatives of the European Union took place at the Ministry of Foreign Afairs of the PMR. The delegation was composed of the Head of Operations of the EU Delegation to Moldova Kaido Sirel, project manager of the EU Delegation to Moldova Hubert Duhot, as well as representatives of political-economic structures of the European Commission: political advisor of the European External Action Service Pierre Dybman and representative of the Development Cooperation Directorate of the European Commission Pier Luca Lepri.
The participants of the meeting discussed possibilities for implementation of the European projects aimed at confidence-building measures, as well as prospects for starting new initiatives of the European Union which are in demand in Pridnestrovie.
According to Vitaly Ignatiev, field for humanitarian cooperation between Pridnestrovie and European Union is sufficiently extensive. Today Brussels is ready to offer Pridnestrovie a number of long-term targeted projects and funds for their implementation can be laid in the budgets of the EU structures for 2012-2015.
“The task of the European side is to learn Tiraspol's point of view on what kind of projects are more topical for the Pridnestrovian people and which of them it is more expedient to develop right now. Therefore, we highlighted the need to work on the development of social infrastructure, healthcare, rendering assistance to transport infrastructure development. Particular issue is a problem of ecology in the basin of the river Dniester. Solution of this complex task requires much funding and long-term planning,” Vitaly Ignatiev told at the end of the meeting.
The diplomat expressed his view that in the nearest time representatives from Brussels will be able to submit about 50 projects to the Pridnestrovian side, and Tiraspol will determine most demanded among them.
