“This meeting of ours in Chisinau expresses clear EU support for and solidarity with the young democratic state that demonstrates its strong commitment to address the enormous challenges it faces. We stand and will be standing alongside Moldova on its path to democracy as a sincere friend and as a reliable ally,” Foreign Minister Ažubalis said.
Foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Sweden, the French Minister of State responsible for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle attended the meeting.

According to Foreign Minister Ažubalis, the goal of the group of Moldova’s friends, one of the main initiators of which is Lithuania, is to to explore how the EU could more effectively assist Moldova in implementing internal reforms and move closer to the EU.

Foreign Minister Ažubalis also held a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Victor Osipov and discussed the issue of solving the Transnistrian conflict, the process of negotiations and the situation in the region. Foreign Minister Ažubalis acquainted V. Osipov with the priorities of Lithuania’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2011, and emphasized that Lithuania’s chairmanship would follow the principles of fairness and transparency.

Along with civil society representatives and non-governmental organizations, Lithuania’s chief diplomat also participated in a round-table discussion on Transnistria during his visit to the Moldovan capital.