June 30, 2021, Budapest - Secretary of State Dumitru Socolan led the delegation of the Republic of Moldova in the Moldovan-Hungarian interministerial consultations. The Hungarian delegation was led by András Baranyi, Deputy Secretary of State for the development of Eastern relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Hungary. Also, on the sidelines of the event, Secretary of State Dumitru Socolan had a meeting with the Secretary of State for security policy of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Dr. Péter Sztáray.
The diplomats discussed a number of topics of common interest on the bilateral agenda, in particular, the process of european integration of the Republic of Moldova, and a deepening of the political dialogue at the highest level, co-operation within the framework of international organizations, security, and regional developments in the process of settling the Transnistrian conflict settlement process, as well as other relevant topics.
On the dimension of European integration, the Moldovan delegation reviewed the main aspects of the dialogue with the EU, emphasizing the state of reforms in key areas and reiterating the expectations of the Republic of Moldova from the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit.
In the context of the Transnistrian problem, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to the identification of a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable solution to the conflict, based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic Of Moldova within internationally recognized borders.
During the consultations, the parties addressed issues concerning the possibility of diversifying Hungarian investments in the Republic Of Moldova and expanding trade-economic cooperation. In this regard, interest was expressed in organizing the 5th meeting of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission and organizing a Moldovan-Hungarian Business Forum.
In addition, the officials reviewed the developments in the epidemiological situation in both states in the context of actions being undertaken at national level to overcome the consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the implementation of the vaccination process and the difficulties encountered in this regard. On this subject, the Head of the Moldovan delegation thanked the Hungarian authorities for the humanitarian aid, consisting of medical and protective equipment, granted in the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
At the same time, the interlocutors agreed to progress on the implementation of joint projects, which target priority areas of bilateral cooperation, such as economy, agriculture, education and culture.
