Foreign Affairs on April 2–15, 2007

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has passed two judgments against Moldova in the period covered by this issue of the journal Governing and Democracy in Moldova.

The applicant in the case Agricultural Cooperative Slobozia-Hanesei vs Moldova has complained to the ECHR the violation of its rights to a fair trial and protection of property. The Strasbourg-based Court found out the violation of the applicant’s rights, as a judgment allowing the plaintiff to recover an arrear from the state-owned enterprise “Moldtranselectro” was not executed for 58 months. Moldova was told to pay 1,943 euros (the equivalent of 23,557 lei on the day when the judgment was passed in April 2002) as pecuniary damage to the applicant.

In the second case Ovciarov vs Moldova, applicant Nicolai Ovciarov has complained in front of the ECHR the violation of his rights through cassation of a judgment in his favour. The ECHR established that the rights of the applicant to a fair trial and protection of property were violated. The Moldovan Government was told to pay 22,300 euros in pecuniary damages, 2,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages and 800 euros in costs and expenses to the applicant.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CMCoE) has restarted the examination of the case Ilascu and Others vs Republic of Moldova and Russian Federation in the period concerned. Its goal was to examine the actions that the accused states have taken to release prisoners Andrei Ivantoc and Tudor Petrov-Popa.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, Germany’s delegation reiterated on behalf of the E.U. Presidency the obligation to execute the ECHR judgments and called upon envisaged sides, particularly on the Russian Federation to take all measures needed for an immediate release of the two persons. We note that in spite of the July 8, 2004 ECHR judgment on release of Andrei Ivantoc and Tudor Petrov-Popa, the two prisoners still are in the detention of the separatist Tiraspol authorities and this fact undermines the credibility of the ECHR and of the CoE implicitly, according to the German E.U. Presidency.

Republic of Moldova — European Union

Consultations on visa issuance facilitation

Consultations between Moldova and the European Community concerning the facilitation of visa issuance Agreement took place in Chisinau on April 3. From the EU’s side in Chisinau were Jan de Ceuster, unit chief, the Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security (DG JFS), DG JFS expert Ron Hendrix and Stefan Schleuning, referent for Moldova in the External Relations Directorate General.

According to the press service of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, experts of the European Commission have met with Moldovan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeriu Ostalep, at which the key goals of Moldova in the process of negotiations were reiterated. The ministerial press service noted that the sides considered proposals that Chisinau raised to the European Commission on March 16 and finalised the draft of the mentioned agreement for the next round of negotiations to be held on April 17.

Common Application Centre (CAC)

On April 4, the Government approved the decision on start of negotiations concerning the draft Understanding Memorandum on Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary in issues related to activity of the Common Application Centre in the Chisinau municipality.

On April 12, CAC opened in the Hungarian diplomatic representation in Chisinau to be tested and it will be formally inaugurated on April 25 in the presence of the deputy president of the European Commission, Franco Frattini, commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security. According to Mihaly Bayer, Hungarian ambassador to Moldova, the CAC will issue Austrian, Latvian, Slovenian and Hungarian visas to Moldovan citizens at the beginning. The ambassador noted that starting May 2007 the CAC could issue Danish visas and Estonia could also join the centre on summer.

Republic of Moldova — Romania

Corina Vintan, spokeswoman for the Romanian Foreign Ministry, said that Romania has issued more than 20,000 visas to Moldovans this year. She noted that the online system introduced in December 2006 allows the daily appointment of 400 persons willing to enter/transit Romania. Romanian visas are issued within 3–4 days after application, Vintan said, adding that the urgent visa applications are examined the same day.

The Iasi Tribunal annulled on April 4 a judgment of the Iasi Court on creation of the Association Community of Moldovans from Romania (CMR). The association became known after three CMR representatives have visited Chisinau, met with Moldovan parliamentarians, President Vladimir Voronin and participated in a programme aired by national television Moldova 1. Vladimir Voronin stated to the news agency Moldpres after meeting the CMR representatives that the latter represent the Moldovan minority from Romania, which counts for 10 million persons, noting that this minority is discriminated in comparison with other minorities from Romania. Shortly after returning to Romania, the CMR leadership has released a communication saying that the organisation could dissolve, if the actions of the association are interpreted and used for political reasons. It seems that the CMR was dissolved de facto, as none of its representatives was present at the April 4 sitting of the Iasi Tribunal.

Republic of Moldova — Ukraine

Chisinau hosted the second round of consultations of the Moldovan-Ukrainian interdepartmental groups on April 5. The sides examined some issues linked to the Dnestrovsk Station; demarcation of the Moldovan-Ukrainian state border; recognition of property rights; organisation of the joint control at the crossing points of the Moldova-Ukraine border, etc.

Republic of Moldova — Russian Federation

The diplomatic relations between Moldova and the Russian Federation turned 15 on April 6.

On this occasion, President Voronin has stated to the interstate company MIR that the relations between Moldova and Russia are based “on rich traditions and an enormous development prospect.” According to the chief of state, the good relations between the two countries worsened in 2003, due to some divergences linked to the Transnistrian problem. In this context, the president underlined that the building of bilateral relations in the light of the Transnistrian conflict only is not judicious. For this reason, cooperation with the Russian side in all directions and fields is needed to build fruitful relations with the Russian Federation. This way, Voronin continued, “the Transnistrian problem will become only a practice of fruitful relations between Moldova and Russia.”

On the same occasion, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan paid an official visit to the Russian Federation on April 6. His visit agenda included meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; Valentin Kuptsov, deputy chairman of the State Duma; and Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the State Duma.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, the sides examined problems related to Moldova-Russia cooperation, including possibilities of a complete resumption of exportation of agricultural production and wines to the Russian market and the present situation of the Transnistrian settlement negotiations.

Some observers have described the statements by the chief of state and Stratan’s visit to Moscow as the projection of an attempt to remedy the relations with Russia, a try forced by Moscow’s trade policy on Chisinau.

The signing of a protocol on resumption of export of Moldovan vegetal products to the Russian market by Moldova’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and Russia’s phyto-sanitary quarantine service, in Moscow on April 11 could be an indirect result of this try. According to the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the exports to Russia will go via five checkpoints of the Bryansk city, while the Moldovan checkpoints are due to be established.

We recall that the export of fruits and vegetables was actually resumed on March 6 — April 6, 2007, but it was a testing period. A new agreement was needed to continue the export after April 6 and the sides signed it on April 11.

Republic of Moldova — Belarus

Moldova has resumed the wine exports to Belarus after about two months. The exports of wines in bulk defeat the bottled wines. The news agency BASA-press cited Belarusian reports that the Minsk-based sparkling wine plant received the first share of 48,000 decilitres of raw material wine from Moldova in early April. The Moldovan-Belarusian enterprise Moldbelvin, founded by AgroVin Bulboaca of Moldova and Belgospisheprom of Belarus, which control 80 and respectively 20 percent of the statutory fund, delivered the wines.

Republic of Moldova — Switzerland

Chisinau hosted the 3rd sitting of the Moldovan-Swiss intergovernmental commission for commercial-economic cooperation on April 3. The sides signed a protocol, pledging to jointly intensify the bilateral cooperation between Moldova and Switzerland, including by selling products and services, attracting investments and enhancing participation in private sector, particularly of small and medium-sized businesses.

Minister of Economy and Commerce Igor Dodon was quoted by Moldpres as saying that the trade exchanges between Moldova and Switzerland were valued at 31.4 million dollars in 2006 and rose by 45.4 percent compared with 2005. He noted that 26 Moldovan-Swiss enterprises are working in Moldova and Switzerland has granted technical assistance worth over 20 million dollars to Moldova, launching more than 64 projects in various fields, including agriculture and reorganisation of enterprises.

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