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Foreign Affairs on March 29 – April 11, 2004
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e-journal #28 |
NATO Enlargement
On April 2, seven new European states (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) joined NATO, the largest extension ever. Nowadays, NATO stretches to Prut river, thus making Republic of Moldova a close neighbour of the strongest military alliance.
On this occasion, Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement viewed as quite contradictory by political leaders and analysts alike. It teeters from a balanced and realist vocabulary to ungrounded or even hilarious rhetoric. The statement reads “NATO extension is the result of political, economic and security integration processes” then it goes “taking into account Alliance’s objectives there are hopes that NATO extension would bring prosperity and stability to Europe” and that “given its neutrality our country would continue to co-operate with the Alliance in fields of mutual interest, especially by means of Partnership for Peace”.
NATO extension was yet another occasion to raise once again the issue of giving up permanent neutrality by Moldova, being cited the example of EU accession candidates (except for Cyprus and Malta) that by pursuing accession to EU became NATO members first. Noteworthy, only three of the current EU members — Austria, Ireland and Norway are not NATO members, whereas Island is the only European state member of NATO not an EU member.
Moldova-Romania neighbourhood program
On April 1 a seminar entitled “Republic of Moldova — Romania neighbourhood Program” was held simultaneously in Iasi and Chisinau. At issue was the joint program document that represents the first step towards developing the Republic of Moldova — Romania neighbourhood Program. The former is a framework document that would outline the tasks, assess opportunities and risks of ongoing and future projects as part of Republic of Moldova — Romania neighbourhood Program. The program, launched as part of EU’s “new neighbourhood” policy is aimed at fostering sustainable economic and social development in the neighbourhood regions, encouraging partnership building in responding mutual challenges, contributing to safe and secure borders, promoting cultural and social activities, etc.
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