Timpul, 21 October 2009

Bridging the Prut

Published on 21 October 2009 at 12:50
Timpul, 21 October 2009

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On its front page, Timpul wonders: "Is the iron curtain on the Prut a thing of the past?" Now that a treaty on cross-border travel has been signed with Romania, the Moldovan daily delightedly reports that, "more than a third of the Moldovan population, that is more than a million people, will no longer need a visa to enter Romania." Given the official seal of approval on Tuesday 20 October in Chisinau, the treaty grants free access to Romania — and as a consequence to the European Union — to Moldovans living in counties along the common border between the two countries, marked by the river Prut. Residents of villages that are situated less than 30km from the border in both countries will be able to cross the Prut and travel up to 50 km. "It's a sign that we are finally beginning to normalize our relations with Romania and the EU," remarks Lurie Leanca, the Moldovan Minister for Foreign Affairs. However, the treaty will be subject to approval from the European Commission before it comes into force in late 2009.

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