Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, is visiting Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, until 3 July, as rapporteur of the Council of Europe together with her Swiss colleague Pierre-Alain Fridez and will meet with the highest state officials, representatives of the parliament, the judiciary, and NGOs.

“Moldova has started its accession negotiations with the European Union. The results of the assessment by the Monitoring Committee will be important both for Moldova’s further development and its relations with the European Union,” the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima said.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has approved to co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee who are tasked with making an in-depth analysis of the situation in Moldova with a focus on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and to draft a detailed report. In fighting to protect its democracy from Russia’s attacks, an independent opinion about the situation is of great importance for Moldova on its road to the European Union – Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica noted.

The visit will focus on the preparations for the upcoming presidential election and the constitutional referendum about joining the European Union. Likewise, risks pertaining to foreign interference not only in the upcoming election, but also the political processes of the Republic of Moldova in general will be assessed. The Committee will also examine development trends in areas that were discussed during the previous visit in February of this year, including issues related to the judicial system reform and the fight against corruption.

Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica and Pierre-Alain Fridez will meet with Maia Sandu, President of Moldova, Igor Grosu, Speaker of Parliament, Doina Gherman, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and Mihail Popșoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs. In addition, the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima will take part in a round table discussion about preparations for the presidential election in Moldova and the associated risks; she will also meet with representatives of the European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova.

Saeima Press Service