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Romania's President Traian Basescu says that the only solution to guarantee the security of the Republic of Moldova is to speed up the process of its joining the European Union.

He said on Wednesday, in Iasi (eastern Romania), at the end of a meeting he had with his counterpart from the Republic of Moldova Nicolae Timofti, that, in the context of the tension in the region, 'the EU countries must be more pragmatic.'

'The conclusion we have promoted is that, leaving concern aside, we must also take measures that should prevent such events as the ones that occurred in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. The solution to guarantee the security of the Republic of Moldova is to speed up the process of EU accession,' said Basescu.

He stressed he promised President Timofti he will back, in Brussels, the position that the Republic of Moldova should in the shortest possible time get a guaranteed European prospect, in a definite timeframe.

'Of course I, as the representative of a state inside the European Union, very well understand the drawback of the fact the Republic of Moldova has been invited to sign an association agreement and a free trade agreement, but it has not been given a timeframe in which it might become a European Union member. So I promised President Timofti I will back the position that the Republic of Moldova should in the shortest possible time get such a timeframe, a guaranteed European prospect, because otherwise, I personally believe this was also the weakness of the offer made Ukraine. It was offered an association agreement, it was offered a free trade agreement, but nobody offered it a prospect for the integration into the European Union as against the offer made by Moscow, which invites to joining the Eurasian Union at once', Basescu explained.

The Romanian leader said the European Union had 'wavered' and he announced he had taken upon himself to raise the issue at the next European Council meeting.

'Therefore, while on the one hand there is a precise offer, with deadlines, the European Union has wavered and I have taken upon myself to raise this issue again at the next Council, while at the same time informing you that even before Vilnius, Romania, Poland and the Baltic states demanded that a European prospect should also be written in the documents having been proposed the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine for initialling or signing in Vilnius. Maybe now, after the events having taken place in the region, we, those who are in the European Union become a little more pragmatic', Basescu pointed out. Agerpres