Foreign Affairs on November 17–30, 2007

European integration

COEST EU-Moldova Troika Meeting

Brussels hosted the COEST EU-Moldova Troika Meeting on November 21–22. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Valeriu Ostalep headed the Moldovan delegation. The meeting focussed on bilateral relations between the European Union and Moldova, issues related to the work of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine, Transnistrian conflict and internal developments in Moldova.

In Brussels, Mr. Ostalep has met Marianne Mikko, co-chairwoman of the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee; Hilde Hardeman, head of unit at the European Commission’s External Relations Directorate-General; Joseph Daul, chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament (EP), and representatives of EU member states.

The meetings of the Moldovan official were part of Moldova’s effort to persuade its European partners to support its desire of succeeding to a new quality of relations with the EU. On the occasion of the COEST EU-Moldova Troika Meeting, Ostalep reiterated that the Chisinau authorities are interested to begin negotiations on a new legal document, which would allow Moldova to gradually join the EU four-freedom area.

Visa facilitation and readmission agreements

The EU Council approved on November 29, 2007 the EU-Moldova visa facilitation and readmission agreements. EP approved the agreements on November 13, while the Moldovan Parliament ratified them on November 8. The enforcement date will be published in the EU Official Journal. The agreements are expected to enter into force on January 1, 2008.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Romania

Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu and Romanian Ambassador to Moldova Filip Teodorescu have reassured that Romania is interested in continuation in developing advantageous relations with Moldova and it remains the purposeful supporter of Moldova’s bids to join the EU. They reaffirmed the sincere willingness of the Romanian state to help approaching a European future for Moldova.

Cioroianu said that Moldova is the priority beneficiary of development assistance which will shortly become operational^[1]. Speaking about problems related to issuance of Romanian visas for Moldova citizens, the minister noted that some of them are linked to the blockage which occurred after Bucharest has sought more than once the enlargement of the Romanian consular network in Moldova.

As regards the possibility to recognise the Schengen visas and stay permits issued by EU member states in order to withdraw the Romania transit visas for Moldovan citizens, Cioroianu stated that a draft decision in this regard is being finalised in Brussels and it could enter into force soon. He also discussed the idea to issue Romanian visas at border crossing stations, noting that community regulations allow the issuance of such visas in emergency situations only.

In his turn, Filip Teodorescu said that the Consulate of the Romanian Embassy in Chisinau has renounced the online appointment system for visa applicants and now it follows the principle “the first comer is served the first.” The diplomat emphasised that the Romanian Consulate will move to a larger headquarter in December 2007 and it will be able to process about 650–700 visa applications a day, and it will introduce a call centre appointment system, if the number of visa applications will be bigger than the processing capacity of the Consulate in continuation.

Speaking about trade exchanges between Romania and Moldova, the diplomat said that they are on the rise. Trade exchanges between the two countries were valued at about 600 million dollars in January-September 2007, compared with 564 million dollars in 2006. These data invalidate the hypothesis that the trade exchanges with Moldova will seriously regress after Romania’s accession to the EU.

Republic of Moldova — Russia

The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) has noticed in the period concerned that accordingly to international norms, the Russian Federation can open polling stations in Moldova for the December 2 elections in the State Duma, but only within its embassy.

However, representatives of the Moscow central electoral commission have announced that 24 polling stations will open in Moldova: one in the Russian Embassy in Chisinau and another 23 in the Transnistrian region. It explained that the international law declares the places where armed forces are dislocated as locations with an extra-territorial status, and therefore, Russia can hold elections in the Transnistrian region without the consent of Moldova.

Replying to this statement, the MFAEI reiterated its attitude towards opening of polling stations in the Transnistrian region.

Regional cooperation

Republic of Moldova — CEFTA

Moldova took over the one-year CEFTA Chairmanship at the November 21 meeting of CEFTA prime ministers in Skopje, Macedonia.

Accordingly to the governmental press service, First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii has stated that the Moldovan CEFTA Chairmanship will organise meetings on adjustment of legislation on customs management, origin, standardisation rules, and withdrawal of barriers on way of trade, etc.

The meeting adopted a declaration of prime ministers which indicates milestones of future cooperation in the region and full implementation of the CEFTA Agreement.

Republic of Moldova — CEI

The Bulgarian capital of Sofia hosted the Central European Initiative (CEI) Summit on November 27. Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev represented Moldova at the event. Bulgaria handed over the CEI Chairmanship to Moldova during the summit. Besides the CEI Chairmanship, Moldova took over the CEFTA Chairmanship and it is due to take over the chairmanships in the South East European Cooperation Process and the RACVIAC Initiative. By running these organisations in 2008, Moldova hopes to improve its regional and European image, to demonstrate that it is a trustworthy regional partner, to strengthen its relations with the states participating in these commitments and to seize this opportunity in order to approach the EU more.

Premier Vasile Tarlev has told the summit that the Moldovan CEI Chairmanship will hold political and sectoral events, in particular, on tourism, science, transportation and energy.

According to the documents approved at the summit, the CEI fields of activity — human development, economic development and institutional development — have been reduces; the participants redefined the CEI goals, in particular the structuring of cooperation matters, revision of financial system of the opposition, coordination of activities with various regional players. Strengthening the cooperation with member states and assisting CIE members to join the EU are basic tasks of the organisation in continuation. At the summit, Ambassador Pietro Ercole Ago was appointed director of the CEI Executive Secretariat.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — OSCE

The 15^th Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council took place in Madrid, Spain on November 29–30. For more details, see the “Transnistrian problem” chapter.

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

ECHR judgments

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has sentenced Moldova in another 5 cases in the period concerned: Popovici vs. Moldova, Ursu vs. Moldova, David vs. Moldova, Timpul Info-Magazin and Anghel vs. Moldova, and Turcan vs. Moldova. Moldova was sentenced for illegal detention of applicants, inhuman treatments, and violation of the rights to a fair trial, effective appeal and freedom of expression. Moldova will have to pay 49,300 Euros (approximately 818,400 lei) to the applicants in the 5 cases.

The ECHR has sentenced Moldova in 103 cases until now^[2]. It passed 58 judgments (51.5 percent) vs. Moldova in 2007 only.

↑ Timpul, year VI, issue 212 (715), 30 November, 2007.
↑ The ECHR has obliged Moldova to pay damages in the amount of 1.93 million Euros (approximately 31.8 million lei) to applicants until now.

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