On 25 October 2017 Rupert Matthews MEP attended and spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Moldovan Friendship Group in the European Parliament.
At the event, Rupert met with Eugen Caras, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, and with Oxana Domenti, a member of the Moldovan Parliament who sits on the Committee for the Economy, and is a former Economist. He also met with fellow MEP, Norica Nicolai from Romania, who had organised the event.
After the meeting, Rupert said “I was delighted to address the Moldovan Friendship Group. I emphasised the importance of international friendships and trade in today’s rapidly evolving world. I found my discussions with Mr Caras and Ms Domenti absolutely fascinating. Clearly Moldova is a beautiful country that has much to offer the wider world in terms of culture, friendship and trade. Above all their friendship is to be valued. It is personal links between individuals that so often make the real differences, while institutional links can sometimes be rather cold if effective. The Brotherhood of Nations is to be found in the hearts of men, not in institutions or buildings.
“I congratulate Ms Nicolai for her initiative in establishing this Group and look forward to playing a full role in the ongoing work of the Group in improving friendship between Moldova and the nations of Europe.”