At the beginning of the meeting, Ivan Gašparovič expressed his pleasure that the bilateral contacts between Slovakia and Moldova in the past four years intensified on both governmental and non-governmental levels. Several members of the Slovak Government visited Moldova – Foreign Affairs Minister twice and Finance Minister once. Slovakia was visited by the Moldovan Prime Minister and, twice, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
“I am pleased that the Slovak Republic will open a resident embassy in Kishinev at the end of June 2013. We will use it to expand our bilateral cooperation in the political and economic spheres,” Ivan Gašparovič said.

As he further emphasised, Slovakia stands prepared to share with Moldova its experience from the processes of transformation and integration. “We trust in the ability of the current ruling coalition in Moldova to maintain the positive reform drive and the EU integration process, which is underway,” the Slovak President said to his Moldovan counterpart in their discussion.

“Moldova still has a chance to become a successful example of the Eastern Partnership. Now, that the country got over the internal political crisis, it may focus on the European agenda and prepare for the Vilnius Summit of the Eastern Partnership in November 2013,” Ivan Gašparovič said when discussing the integration chances of Moldova. In the next part of the talks, Ivan Gašparovič appreciated the progress achieved in negotiations on the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement.

“We support the European perspective and the transformation process in Moldova, which should be sustainable and bring tangible results to the people of Moldova,” the Slovak President noted.

Nicolae Timofti thanked Ivan Gašparovič for the invitation to Bratislava. “We need your support in our endeavours for European integration,” he said in the beginning of the meeting.

According to President Timoftiho, opinion polls in Moldova show a 51-support for the country’s ambition to join the EU. As he added, the Government and the President would do everything to increase the level of popular support.

As Nicolae Timofti emphasised in the close of the meeting, the Bratislava Summit made sense for the countries of central Europe and for Europe as a whole.