Foreign Affairs on April 29 – May 15, 2006

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted the 4th interim resolution on execution of the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment on “Ilascu and others versus Moldova and the Russian Federation”. Under the 2004 ECHR judgment, the defendant states must take all the measures needed to stop the arbitrary detention of imprisoned plaintiffs and to release them immediately. The CoE’s Committee of Ministers encourages the Moldovan authorities in its 4th resolution to continue their efforts and declares firm decision to ensure respect for the Russian Federation’s obligations in the virtue of this judgment. The Committee of Ministers calls on authorities of member states to take appropriate measures.

On 9 May 2006, the ECHR communicated a judgment of the chamber on a repetitive case: “Lungu vs. Moldova” (non-execution of judgment to pay indemnity). The court indicated findings similar to cases raising the same problems: violation of Article 6 (1) (fairness); violation of Article 1 of Protocol 1, allocating 98 euros to applicant in pecuniary damage, 1,000 euros in non-pecuniary damage and 300 euros in costs and expenses.

Republic of Moldova — European Union

Moldova will start negotiating with the European Commission a facilitated visa regime with the E.U. members in early summer, while the Moldovan Government intends to annul the Moldovan visas for E.U. citizens on January 1, 2007.

The Moldovan speaker said after a meeting with a group of experts representing the Great National Assembly of Hungary that Moldova could become the first state in the European Neighbourhood Policy to implement the TWINNING Project, a bilateral European assistance tool aimed to consolidate the institutional capacities of beneficiary country. The cooperation agreement is being drafted and it may be finished within a couple of months.

E.U. Council Secretary Javier Solana, E.U. high representative for foreign policy and common security, has told an international conference in Vilnius that the E.U. will continue supporting solutions to “frozen” conflicts in Europe. The E.U. will cooperate in this regard with the U.S, and the Russian Federation, which has a big influence in the region, but national governments play the priority role.

The executive has empowered the minister of economy and trade to sign on behalf of Moldova a framework agreement on external assistance with the Commission of European Communities, which will substitute the existing TACIS Programme. Starting 1994, when the cooperation agreement was signed, the European Commission has provided technical assistance worth 140 million dollars via TACIS. A public auditing of the implementation and efficiency of TACIS projects was not conducted in Moldova, but it was earlier announced that the funds allocated within this programme to other former Soviet states (especially the Russian Federation) have been used inefficiently. The fact that Moldova’s legislation was not rallied to international standards until now and the process of preliminary expertise of national regulations is not in the necessary order raises many doubts over efficiency of implementation of the TACIS Programme in Moldova and competence of institutional capacities of structures in charge with its implementation. Therefore, the new assistance agreement will be implemented through new mechanisms, with a maximum efficiency and uprightness.

The Romanian foreign minister has told a news conference within the SEECP Summit in Thessalonik that Moldova, new full rights member of the cooperation process, shall really assume the effort of European integration. Mihai Razvan Ungureanu outlined that the inclusion of Moldova besides the Western Balkan countries by E.U. and separation from the group Ukraine and Belarus is justified by fact that Moldova’s dimension is small, while costs and speed of implementation of reforms needed for joining are theoretically low. Ungureanu noted that the start of internal reforms for adoption of the acquis communautaire and loyal assuming of lines of foreign policy of the E.U. are the main arguments expected by Brussels from Chisinau.

Republic of Moldova — Romania

The Moldovan minister of foreign affairs and European integration told parliamentary hearings on 11 May, 2006 that the understanding between Moldova and Romania is “total”, while cooperation is “active”. The draft border treaty is being discussed, while the draft visa agreement is being completed. As regards the draft basic treaty, Andrei Stratan said that a draft “treaty of partnership and cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and Romania” was elaborated and it will be examined accordingly to appropriate diplomatic procedures.

Romanian President Traian Basescu has told a meeting with Austrian President Heinz Fischer that Romania wants the inclusion of the Republic of Moldova in the same E.U. joining package with the Western Balkans. The Romanian president considers that Moldova should be provided a different route than Ukraine as regards the European integration prospect.

Romania offers 3,500 seats in educational institutions to Moldova in the academic year 2006–2007 and they are entirely or partly financed by the Bucharest Ministry of Education and Researches. The access to education is provided despite the Chisinau authorities refuse to sign student exchange protocol with Romania.

Moldova has sent humanitarian aid comprising tents, counterpanes, syringes, vaccines, powder milk, and mini-power stations to victims of natural disasters from Romania. The cost of the aid is estimated at over 300,000 lei (18,000 euros).

Republic of Moldova — Russian Federation

The Russian Federation wants to favour the “relief of situation” in the Transnistrian region of Moldova by influencing the sides in searching a compromise. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Minister Sergey Lavrov has delivered such statements at a meeting with Igor Smirnov, leader of the self-proclaimed Moldovan Transnistrian Republic. Lavrov said that the involvement of Russia will create political premises for resumption of the Transnistrian settlement negotiations “with the purpose to elaborate a special, guaranteed status of Transnistria as part of integrated Moldova.”

Continuation of negotiations with Gazprom

Officials of the gas giant Gazprom say that they are negotiating possibilities to extend the cooperation in energy sector with Moldovan partners and, therefore, the price of natural gas delivered to Moldova could remain at the level of 110 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres. Concrete projects could be announced only after negotiations, a spokesperson for the Russian company has said.

The Russian Federation has offered 103 scholarships for Moldovan students and candidates to doctor’s degree for the academic year 2006–2007. Persons admitted at institutions of higher learning in Russia will not pay for their education.

Officials of the Interior Ministry of Moldova have confirmed that the Russian Federation awarded political asylum to Moldovan crime leader Grigore Caramalac, alias Bulgaru. Law enforcement bodies from the two countries discuss the extradition of Caramalac, who was declared as internationally wanted in 1998 for grave and very grave offences.

Moldova in the world

According to a study by magazine Foreign Policy and the centre of investigations Fund for Peace, Moldova is ranked the 58th place in a standing of states of the world regarding the stability criterion . The study is based on 12 political, economic, social and military criteria. The African states are the most instable (Sudan, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire), while Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland) are the most stable.

Moldova was admitted as full rights member of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), a structure created 10 years ago, which brings together 10 members: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Moldova. The European Commission considers SEECP as an efficient regional tool in the European integration process.

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