To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the presidential elections in Moldova; and whether he has assessed this as a free and fair campaign and vote.

I refer the hon. Member to the declaration on the parliamentary elections in Moldova issued by the EU on 8 March. We are encouraged that the elections were judged by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to have generally met international standards for democratic elections. But we urge the Government of Moldova to address without delay the shortcomings identified by the OSCE, in particular problems concerning campaign conditions and the restricted media environment.

The full text of the EU declaration is available on the presidency's website at www.eu2005.lu.