Foreign Affairs on March 29 – April 11, 2006

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

The Committee of Ministers adopted two resolutions on March 28–29, 2006, demanding the Moldovan authorities:

to adopt legislative amendments and to take measures needed to ensure the compatibility of national legislation on religious denominations with international standards in the field and recommendations of the Council of Europe;
to insist on execution of the ECHR judgment on release of Andrei Ivantoc and Tudor Petrov-Popa, who are illegally detained by Tiraspol authorities.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has sentenced the Moldovan Government in the case Corsacov vs. Moldova for use of torture and ill-treatments, violation of the right to an effective appeal. ECHR has obliged the Moldovan Government to pay 20,000 euros in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages to Mihail Corsacov, victim of police abuses, and 1,000 euros in costs and expenses. The use of torture is ascertained for the first time among applications of Moldovan nationals, while the lawyer of the applicant said that tens of such cases are being examined.

Republic of Moldova — European Union

Marianne Mikko, head of the delegation of the European Parliament in the E.U.-Moldova Cooperation Committee has spoken out regarding the state of the Moldova-E.U. relations and perspective to deepen them^[1]:

the Brussels authorities consider that a successful integration of Moldova in E.U. is impossible for the time being because of poverty, migration, trafficking in persons, violation of human rights and Transnistrian conflict;
although the legislation of Moldova is satisfactory, the implementation of laws is unsatisfactory because of the lack of qualified personnel, plenary political consensus, “opposition is influenced by Russia, and the Government is also influenced by Russia in a certain measure”;
Moldova has a civil society, serious NGOs, “but some of them are created to obtain financing only”;
the president of Moldova speaks so that to satisfy everybody, he has different speeches for the E.U., Russia and citizens;
Moldova shall develop bilateral contacts with E.U. member states at level of legislation and parliamentary contacts, as well as at governmental level with all governments of E.U. member states. The European Community shall monitor how much money was spent on TACIS line and other programmes, how corruption is combated in Moldova, what is the situation of independent mass media.

Moldova’s ambassador to the E.U. says that Romania’s entry in the E.U. will facilitate Moldova’s efforts to reach the same goal. Eugen Carpov considers that new perspectives will open to Moldova after Romania joins the E.U. while relations with E.U. will upgrade. The diplomat noted that the Moldovan authorities have started adapting the Romanian-language version of the E.U. legislation, while the Chisinau administration realises that the date when Moldova could be accepted as an E.U. member shall not be discussed in concrete terms at present.

Republic of Moldova — Romania

According to a survey conducted by the Romanian Centre for Sociological Analyses and Investigations CIVIS in March 2006, 51 % of Romanian citizens would vote for union with the Republic of Moldova, if a referendum in this regard is held. Also, 27 percent of Romanians would vote “for the maintenance of the present situation” and 10 percent would not attend the referendum.

Moldova’s speaker says that our country wants to sign two treaties with Romania: the basic bilateral treaty and the border treaty between the two states. According to Marian Lupu, the ratification of these documents “would ease the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict.” Lupu said that sensitive issues (national identity, language, history) shall be eliminated from relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova for a certain period. On the other hand, Romania’s foreign minister had earlier said that relations between the two states shall be based on a “partnership treaty for Europe” which would plan issues for future, no return “to the past insistently and without result” by promoting the idea of signing of a political treaty.

Delegations of the Information Security Service of Moldova and Security Service of Romania met in Chisinau to discuss cooperation and combat of risks for national security of states and regions in general. They discussed issues related to discovery of money laundering branches struggle against international organised crime, combat of extremism, separatism and terrorism.

Republic of Moldova — Russian Federation

Contract with Gazprom

A natural gas delivery contract was signed with the Republic of Moldova on March 30, with the joint stock society Gazprom accepting the present price for one more trimester. An official communication of the Russian giant said that the Moldovan authorities have tabled some proposals aimed at a wider collaboration, but they require a detailed examination and thus the current price for acquisition of gas was maintained.

Declarations by Russian Foreign Ministry

On April 3, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Mikhail Kalminin, answered some questions regarding the granting of humanitarian aid to Transnistria. Mr. Kalminin claimed that Transnistria faces a situation of crisis after the Moldovan authorities have stopped applying some previous international agreements. He noted that the Chisinau authorities aim to deprive Tiraspol of independent sources that creates its budget, to challenge a social crisis in order to change the acting leadership of the breakaway region of Transnistria.

Moldova’s ambassador in Moscow was invited at the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 4 to be told that Russian official statements regarding worsening of situation in Transnistria are based on the previous stance saying that the tries to make one of the conflicting sides to capitulate run counter the OSCE principles. According to Russian officials the problems shall be solved through political negotiations by taking into consideration the earlier agreed understandings, accordingly to the December 15, 2005 Joint Declaration of the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.

A representative of Russia addressed the April 6, 2006 sitting of the OSCE permanent Council regarding situation in Transnistria, invoking that the economic losses resulted from joint measures implemented by Moldova and Ukraine account for 75 million dollars. This situation has a negative effect on social sector, poorly ensured categories and the Russian Federation has sent humanitarian aid to Transnistria notably from this reason. According to the Russian official, the measures implemented by Moldova and Ukraine are tries to exert pressure on a conflicting side, while Russia as intermediary of the negotiation process is alarmed with this situation and impasse of the negotiation process.

Parliamentary correspondence

The Moldovan speaker has sent messages to the chairman of the State Duma and head of the Federal Council of the Federal Assembly, expressing concern with the situation after the interdiction of Moldovan wine exports to Russia. Marian Lupu called upon his Russian counterparts to contribute to revision of biased approaches and stances towards Moldovan wines by executive bodies. Heads of the parliamentary commissions for foreign policy, for economy, budget and finances, for agriculture and food industry sent similar requests to their counterparts.

Moldova’s stance over Russia’s admission in WTO

The head of the directorate general for commercial policies of the Ministry of Economy and Trade told a news conference on April 11, 2006 that the Republic of Moldova supports Russia’s entry in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Octavian Calmic said that Moldova is interested that the Russian Federation becomes a WTO member and complies with international rules in bilateral trade. According to the Moldovan official, international experts, U.S. and E.U. delegations estimate that Russia may join the WTO in late 2006 or early 2005, if it takes the necessary actions.

New conditions for entry in the Russian Federation and Moldova

A Protocol to the agreement on visa-free travel of Moldovan and Russian citizens was enforced on April 7, 2006. Thus, citizens of the two countries will be able to enter the foreign territory only on basis of passports and special documents issued by competent authorities (passport/identity paper of sailor, travel title for comeback to country issued by embassies). The introduction of new measures will improve the border control regime and will favour the combat of illegal migration, but it may also challenge some difficulties to citizens of Moldova who are in this country without a valid passport (earlier, Moldovan citizens could enter and leave Russia with identity cards).

Moldova in the world

The Moldovan Government intends to annul the visa regime for citizens of the E.U., the U.S., Canada, Switzerland and Japan on January 1, 2007. The executive hopes that this measure will give an impulse to tourism, will enhance the investments in Moldova. The need of such a decision is being discussed for a long time, being recommended by representatives of community institutions, too, while the executive did not make a clear decision in this regard but at the request of the chief of state. It should be noted that AMN lawmaker Vitalia Pavlicenco submitted a draft law in this regard to the Parliament in early March and the document proposes measures that the Government supports.

↑ www.flux.md

e-democracy.md