Liberals' Orban: I'm positive Romania is ready for Union with Republic of Moldova

Romania is ready for the Union with the Republic of Moldova, a process in which our country should do more and bring "an added concreteness" to its actions, on Sunday said the National Liberal Party (PNL, opposition)'s national leader Ludovic Orban.

"The Union is completed by the people through the decision they make (...)PNL, the way it used to be 100 years ago, the party that has advocated the Great Union, is today as well advocating the Great union. Even if lacking a plan or a strategy to be shared by all the people who make politics in Romania, I'm positive that Romania is prepared for this Union. As regards our thoughts, we act through all legal and constitutional possibilities we've got. We will convey and we constantly convey the PNL local elected to develop twinning relationships, of cooperation, of carrying out joint programmes with the mayors and the local councils in the villages of the Republic of Moldova, of Bessarabia," Orban said after a meeting on Sunday with mayors from the Republic of Moldova.

He added that Romania is ready when in the Republic of Moldova the will for Union will be voiced.

"In the Union statements by the mayors, they know there has to be a will expressed in the Republic of Moldova for this Union. I'm certain that the moment this will will exist, Romania too will have to make concrete steps to increase support in Bessarabia's population for this Union, once this will will be, Romania is ready . (...) You are aware of the President's stance through which he said the same thing I just did, namely that the final decision will be made in Bessarabia. We are prepared when the Bessarabians are ready for the Great Union's Act," Orban added.

The PNL chairman explained that many mayors did not want to adopt this union declaration "due to pressure upon them, due to the various forms of threat."

"It is a process Romania has to do more about. (...) An added concreteness should be brought in, perhaps the projects we share and the things will move naturally because we are the same people," Orban stressed.

One of the Moldovan mayors specified that after the union declaration was adopted in the local councils, "nobody scolded them", as it was " a wish" of their own.

"Citizens are manipulated, many lies go around the media," another mayor said, referring to those who oppose unification.

The leader of the Action 2012 Unionist Platform George Simion said that so far 119 localities in the Republic of Moldova have adopted the Union Declaration with Romania.AGERPRES(RO - author: Livia Popescu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author, editor: Maria Voican)