Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been in Moldova for a forum on the former Soviet republic’s efforts to join the European mainstream. Poland will take up the EU rotating presidency for the second half of this year. Tusk and his Moldovan counterpart Vladimir Filat led the talks.

Filat said his country wants to simultaneously work on integrating with the European Union and build stability and efficiency. He spoke optimistically about improving standards of living and resolving problems with the breakaway region of Transnistria.

The Russian-speaking province seceded from Romanian-speaking Moldova after a civil war ending in 1992. Relations between Europe’s poorest country and the EU are conducted within the rich bloc’s Neighbourhood Policy. A Swedish analyst at the forum said raising standards in Moldova could contribute to a solution with Transnistria.

Moldova’s self-styled governing ‘Coalition for European Integration’ has called for Russian peacekeepers to leave Transnistria.