Attending the meeting were also Health Minister Andrei Usatii and the head of the EMCDDA International Cooperation Department, Cecile Martel.

Vlad Filat thanked for the EMCDDA support to Moldova, and said that the government is aware of the importance of involvement in combating drugs use.

"Combating the drug use is important for us not only in Moldova, but in the region too. Our purpose is to become a country which offers stability and security. We are in an advanced process in the dialogue with the European Union, and it means the border integrated management. We need a better cooperation with the international partners. We want to take over the experience from other states proving efficiency that can be implemented here", Filat said.

Filat noted that the government provides the needed support to those directly involved in the implementation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy, and the Anti-Drug Department within the Interior Ministry will significantly increase the efficiency once the transformations and investments made in the institution's reformation process.

Also, Filat said that the priority should be given not only to the constraint measures in preventing the drug use, but also to those on the citizens' information. He said that it is needed a more active involvement of the education system, as well as a special attention to the segment of recovery of the drug addicts, and the government will increase the efforts to this end.

For his part, Andrei Usatii said that the National Observer for Drugs was set up in 2004 within the National Centre for Health Management, aiming at assessing the data on drugs use in order to be prevented. He asked for the EU support in this respect.

Wolfgang Gotz said that a memorandum of understanding in the anti-drug sector was signed between the Health Ministry and the EMCDDA on 17 July. He said that signing this document is an important step in the dialogue between Moldova and the European Union on the visa free regime.

Wolfgang Gotz also welcomed the elaboration and implementation of the National Anti-Drug Strategy, noting that Moldova has a very good start in this sector.