Foreign Affairs on December 1–16, 2007

European integration

Visit of President Voronin to Brussels

President Vladimir Voronin paid an official visit to Brussels on December 5–6. In the city where many European and international institutions are based, Voronin has met Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy; Peter Mandelson, European commissioner for Trade; Marian Fischer Boel, European commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development; Andris Piebalgs, European Energy commissioner; the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, Secretary General of the EU Council; Hans-Gert Poettering, president of the European Parliament (EP), and others.

According to Moldpres news agency, the president’s visit to Brussels aimed to totalise the results of cooperation with the EU in the past years and to make clear the further cooperation possibilities with EU institutions. Although Voronin stressed that he did not come to Brussels to negotiate Moldova’s perspective to join the EU, observers said that the visit of the Moldovan president to EU institutions aimed to assure that Moldova continues to be dedicated to its European course and to persuade European officials to allow Chisinau to succeed to a new qualitative relationship with the EU.

While meeting Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the chief of state revised Moldova’s progresses in implementing the EU-Moldova Action Plan (EUMAP), but acknowledged that “there is much work to be done so far” in a number of areas. He indicated the human rights, the freedom of the media, the judiciary reform, the anti-corruption fight, the attraction of investments. Voronin told a briefing that Moldova has to adopt 11 laws in the EUMAP implementation context.

The need of reforming the areas concerned was reiterated during the meeting with Hans-Gert Poettering. This is the only way to launch talks on a new framework of relations between EU and Moldova, the EP president stressed.

At the meeting with Andris Piebalgs, the Moldovan president called for the elaboration of an energy cooperation memorandum, Moldova’s participation in the Nabucco project and the South East European Energy Community Treaty (SEEECT). Piebalgs promised that Moldova’s capacities to take over the SEEECT provisions will be evaluated and noted that the Nabucco project coordinator who was recently appointed by the European Commission could visit Moldova to discuss possibilities of participating in this project.

The Moldovan side has told Marian Fischer Boel that the draft National Sustainable Agro-Industrial Development Strategy until 2020 is being elaborated and sought assistance for the implementation of this document, readjustment of Moldovan livestock sector to community animal food security norms.

Peter Mandelson welcomed Moldova’s reforms on issuing of commodity origin certificates and control on origin of Moldovan goods. Also, he stressed the need of promoting reforms in the area of standardisation and competitiveness of products.

CAC

Once the Schengen area is enlarged, starting December 21, the visas issued by countries participating in the Common Application Centre (CAC) will be accepted in the entire Schengen area. Taking part in the CAC are Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Latvia, Denmark and Iceland. Starting December 21, the Schengen area will cover the EU member states, except for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria, plus Norway and Iceland. Switzerland and Liechtenstein are expected to join the Schengen area in 2008, Cyprus in 2009, and Bulgaria and Romania in 2011. The United Kingdom and Ireland have chosen not to sign the Schengen Agreement.

“A Strong European Neighbourhood Policy” Communication from the Commission

For more details, please read the column “Studies, analyses, commentaries” in this issue.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Romania

The Moldova-Romania relations have reached a critical point in the period concerned. After the Moldovan president has bitterly criticised Romania while on visit to Brussels, Moldovan authorities declared two Romanian diplomats as persona non-grata. Laurentiu Pinte, first secretary, and Vasile Nanea, cultural advisor for the Romanian Embassy, have been obliged to leave Moldova within 24 hours. A Verbal Note by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) of Moldova which declared the two diplomats as persona non-grata justifies the gesture of Chisinau, citing Article 9 of the (1961) Vienna Convention and indicating the incompatibility of their service with their diplomatic status. According to knowledgeable sources, MFAEI took this action because the Romanian diplomats have undermined Moldova’s statehood.

Romanian Ambassador to Moldova Filip Teodorescu did not accept the MFAEI Verbal Note, protesting this way against the gesture of Chisinau.

Last time the Chisinau authorities took such a measure in March 2002 during street protests and it was also applied on a Romanian diplomat, military attache Ion Ungureanu. Replying to the gesture of Chisinau, Romanian authorities declared Iacob Popovici, advisor minister of the Moldovan Embassy in Bucharest, as a persona non-grata.

The gesture of Chisinau has vexed the public opinion from both banks of the Proute River. While the Moldovan public opinion is divided regarding the MFAEI decision, with the media close to the ruling party justifying this gesture, the Romanian public opinion described it as a diplomatic error. Romania’s president, prime minister and Foreign Ministry have univocally described the MFAEI gesture as “unfriendly”, groundless and contrary to European diplomatic norms. At the same time, President Basescu and the Romanian Foreign Ministry assured that Romania will continue promoting the European destiny of Moldovan citizens in spite of existing problems in bilateral relations. Also, they decided not to reply to the MFAEI decision in a similar manner.

Republic of Moldova — Russia

MFAEI released a commentary on December 6 regarding statements delivered by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

He said among others that Russia has honoured its 1999 Istanbul commitments regarding the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. In this context, the MFAEI noted that the Russian Federation has partly pulled out its conventional armed forces from Moldova until late 2001. About 20,000 tons of munitions and more than 1,000 military are in Moldova so far. The ministry added that there is also the problem of Limited Uncounted Treaty Hardware, which the Russian Federation had illegally delivered to the anti-constitutional Tiraspol regime. It includes tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and helicopters.

Also, the MFAEI reacted to the notion “Russian peacekeepers” used by Lavrov. He noted that this notion does not adequately reflect the contents and the meaning of the 1992 ceasefire agreement, under which the sides had introduced “military contingents” in the conflict zone. Finally, the ministry regretted that Russia is trying to justify its failure to honour international commitments by launching “terminological speculations”.

Republic of Moldova — NATO

President Vladimir Voronin has met NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer while on visit to Brussels. The officials discussed the Transnistrian settlement process, the work of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine, and the recent initiatives by Moldovan president aimed to strengthen the confidence between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

In connection with these topics, the sides tackled the issue related to the national security concept of Moldova, which should be elaborated in 2006. Voronin explained that the adoption of the document is late inclusively because authorities want this document to cover the latest Transnistrian settlement initiatives as well.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

ECHR judgment

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has passed a decision on Cogut vs. Moldova case in the period concerned. The ECHR indicated the violation of rights to a fair trial and protection of property. It obliged Moldova to pay 2,500 euros to the applicant in pecuniary damage and 800 euros in non-pecuniary damage.

The Strasbourg-based Court has sentenced Moldova in 104 cases until now^[1]. Moldova was sentenced in 59 cases (56.7 percent) in 2007 only.

Republic of Moldova — U.N.

Moldova was reinstated in its elective franchise in the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in the period covered by this issue. This decision was made at the UNIDO General Conference in Vienna on December 3–7. According to the MFAEI, the restoration of the elective franchise will allow Moldova to participate in the UNIDO more actively.

↑ ECHR has obliged Moldova to pay approximately 1.93 million euros (about 31.8 million lei) to applicants until now.

e-democracy.md