Foreign Affairs on April 16–30, 2007

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

A group of Moldovan parliamentarians led by Deputy Speaker Maria Postoico attended the works of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on April 16–20. The PACE session focussed among others on democracy and human rights in Europe. PACE President Rene van der Linden invited parliamentarians from member states of the Council of Europe (CoE) to make their national governments tackle the human rights problem more seriously and help involving diverse social players from their origin countries in partnerships aimed at consolidating these rights.

The PACE also discussed the situation in Ukraine, Middle East, and humanitarian crisis in Darfur, studied the draft European Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse and gave green light to Montenegro’s application for joining the CoE.

Republic of Moldova — European Union

Common Application Centre

The Common Application Centre (CAC) formally opened in the Hungarian Embassy in Chisinau on April 25. The Chisinau-based CAC is the first centre of this kind opened by the European Union. The ceremony brought together Moldovan and European officials including the deputy president of the European Commission, Franco Frattini, European commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security; Ursula Plassnik, minister of European and international affairs of Austria; Estonian Speaker Ene Ergma; Latvian Speaker Indulis Emsis; Andrej Ster, Slovenian state secretary of foreign affairs; Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Goncz; Cesare de Montis, head of the European Commission Delegation in Chisinau; Kalman Miszei, E.U. special representative to Moldova, etc.

Frattini said that the opening of CAC is a message of the EU confidence towards Moldova. Speaking about Romania’s initiative to open a similar centre, the official noted that it is important to avoid a doubling of functions and a new centre in the Romanian Embassy would have to cooperate, not to compete with CAC.

On occasion of opening of the CAC, Mr. Frattini has met Moldova’s President Vladimir Voronin, Speaker Marian Lupu and Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev. Frattini pledged to consider possibilities of facilitating a small border traffic agreement between Moldova and Romania, reiterated the E.U. commitment to extend the mandate of its Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine for another two years and invited the Moldovan Parliament to draft a comprehensive report on human rights in Moldova, which the E.U. will use to consider assistance mechanisms in this field for Moldova.

Although the opening of CAC is welcome, many media institutions induced exaggerated expectations. CAC will issue only Austrian, Latvian, Slovenian and Hungarian visas at the beginning. According to officials, Denmark will join this centre in May and Estonia on summer 2007. Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, France, Germany, England, which host most Moldovans working in E.U., are reticent so far over participation in CAC. The last three countries want the issuance of visas for Moldovan citizens to remain an exclusive task of their embassies in Chisinau.

Second round of negotiations on readmission and facilitated visa issuance agreements

Brussels hosted on April 17 the second round of Moldova-E.U. negotiations on readmission and facilitated visa issuance agreements.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the first agreement institutes a cooperation framework on prevention and combat of illegal migration, while the second document stipulates a number of visa issuance facilities for Moldovan citizens who travel to E.U. The facilities include the maintenance of the 35-euro visa tax (compared with 60 euros); free visas for some Moldovan citizens, particularly students, carriers, retirees, journalists, businessmen, etc.

Also, the facilitated visa issuance agreement stipulates the bona fidae principle; it means that persons who were issued E.U. visas and respected the stay conditions in these states could obtain multi-entry visas for at least one year. The agreement also stipulates free visas for Romania and Bulgaria till accession of these states to the Schengen area.

These agreements were initialled over opening of CAC on April 25 and they will be enforced by late 2007.

Signing of Additional Protocol to PCA

On occasion of the April 17 round of negotiations, an Additional Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) concerning the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to PCA was signed between European Communities and Member States on one side and the Republic of Moldova on the other side.

5th meeting of Moldova-E.U. Cooperation Subcommittee

Chisinau hosted the 5th meeting of the Moldova-E.U. Cooperation Subcommittee on transportation, energy, environment, information society, education, science and research, healthcare, on April 23–24.

The sides examined the implementation of the E.U.-Moldova Action Plan in the fields of competence of the subcommittee. The energy strategy of Moldova till 2020 was a central topic on agenda of the meeting. The sides agreed that the strategy must take into account the recommendations of the report on Moldovan energy system, which is being drafted by European Commission in connection with Moldova’s demand to join the Energy Community Treaty. The meeting also focussed on elaboration of the national transportation strategy and the law on communications, evolutions in healthcare sector, environment, science and innovation.

E.U. verifying possible secret deal between Moldova and Russia

EUobserver.com has reported in the period covered by this issue of the journal Governing and Democracy in Moldova that the E.U. diplomacy is verifying a possible secret Transnistria settlement deal between Moldova and Russia. Andrew Rettman of this press institution said that if such a deal exists, it could pose risks for future relations between Moldova and E.U. and the signing of an agreement between the two sides. The existence of a Moldovan-Russian deal was reported by known U.S. political commentator of the Jamestown Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, Vladimir Socor. According to Socor, the secret deal foresees the reunification of Moldova and Transnistria on a model that would give Russia-controlled Transnistria the power to block future Moldova government decisions and keep Russian troops in Moldova indefinitely.

Republic of Moldova — Romania

The spokeswoman for the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Corina Vintan, said in connection with reports on a new Russian plan on Transnistria that Romania is interested that any solution to the Transnistrian conflict be found in the “Five-Plus-Two” format. She noted that this is the only format which guarantees that the agreed solutions are fair and viable. This way, the opinion of certain circles of interests, which would be ready to condemn and even to tax an alleged Moldovan-Russian deal unknown by other participants in negotiation process, is resumed.

Republic of Moldova — Ukraine

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Arseny Yatseniuk has told the OSCE Permanent Council that the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict is a priority of Ukraine’s foreign policy. He noted that the immediate goals of Kiev on this dimension of foreign policy are to ensure the resumption of negotiations and to persuade Tiraspol to work positively on issues from agenda.

Elsewhere, Ukraine was thanked for consistently implementing the bilateral agreement on single customs regime with Moldova and for developing a good cooperation with EUBAM.

Republic of Moldova — Russian Federation

The chairman of the board of observers of Moldova-Gaz, Valeri Golubev, deputy chairman of the board of directors of the Russian concern Gazprom, has visited Chisinau to attend the annual general assembly of Moldova-Gaz shareholders. He met Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev and reiterated the readiness of Gazprom to implement investment projects in Moldova, including on development of Moldova-Gaz and building of main gas pipes. According to Moldpres, the sides agreed to work out in optimal terms a detailed plan on investment cooperation and development of Moldova-Gaz.

Republic of Moldova — Sweden

President Vladimir Voronin has paid an official visit to Sweden in the period concerned. He met Swedish officials, including King Carl XVI Gustaf; Swedish Speaker Per Westerberg; Foreign Minister Carl Bildt; Gunilla Carlsson, minister of international development cooperation; Maria Norrfalk, director-general of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA); Peter Egardt, chairman of the Association of Swedish Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Per Unckel, governor of the Administrative Region Stockholm, etc.

The meetings focussed on issues of common interest, including commercial-economic cooperation; assistance offered to Moldova via SIDA; need of signing an agreement on avoidance of double taxation, etc. Carl Bildt indicated Sweden’s interest to consider the possibility of participation in CAC, while Maria Norrfalk reiterated the readiness of Swedish authorities to continue supporting economic and democratic reforms in Moldova and European integration options of our country.

It is worth to note in this context that Sweden has recently approved an assistance strategy for Moldova, which foresees an annual financial aid worth 11 million euros for three years and directing of this assistance to three priority fields: ensuring a good governing; enhancing competitiveness in rural sector and efficiently using energy resources.

Republic of Moldova — BSEC

Serbia hosted the 16th meeting of the council of foreign ministers from the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Organisation region on April 19. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Valeriu Ostalep represented Moldova at the meeting. According to the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, the meeting examined mechanisms needed to develop cooperation between BSEC and E.U., identified priority fields of cooperation in the Black Sea region for next 10–15 years and signed an Memorandum of Understanding for the Coordinated Development of the Black Sea Ring Highway and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of Black Sea Transportation System.

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