Foreign Affairs on December 1–31, 2008

European Integration

European Commission releases Eastern Partnership Concept

The Eastern Partnership Concept, a new initiative by the European Commission aimed to develop political and economic relations with 6 neighbouring ex-Soviet countries — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, was released in Brussels on December 3, 2008. It stipulates a deeper political engagement by the states concerned, including the prospect of a new generation of Association Agreements, far-reaching integration into the EU economy, easier travel to the EU for citizens providing that security requirements are met, enhanced energy security arrangements benefiting all concerned, and increased EU financial assistance. All these advantages will be granted on a differentiated basis, depending on progresses and specific requirements of each country. The Eastern Partnership aims to encourage internal reforms in the countries concerned by building 4 multilateral policy platforms on democracy, good governance and stability; economic integration and convergence with EU policies; energy security; contacts between people to further support partners’ individual reform efforts. In addition, EU will support the social and economic development of the 6 countries via five high profile flagship initiatives (integrated border management programme; small and medium sized enterprise facilities; regional electricity markets, renewable and energy efficiency; southern energy corridor; and prevention of, preparedness for, and response to natural and man-made disasters). The European Union will provide 350 million Euro to fund this initiative in 2010–2013 and will redirect another 250 million Euro allocated within regional programmes under the European Neighbourhood Policy. The Eastern Partnership will be launched on spring 2009.

Note by ADEPT: The European Partnership does not provide univocally a European perspective to countries concerned, including the Republic of Moldova, but stipulates more differentiated relations with EU compared with EU southern neighbours. On the contrary, European officials have emphasized that the new EU initiative is not a prelude for a future EU enlargement.

European Commission concerned with media freedom in Moldova

On December 12, Mrs Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations, released a statement concerning the decision of the Moldovan Audiovisual Coordinating Council (CCA) to refuse the prolongation of the broadcasting licence of the PRO TV Chisinau television channel. The European commissioner raised concerned with the CCA decision and warned that media freedom is one of the fundamental principles of a functioning democracy, which Moldovan authorities must respect, especially in the run-up to the spring 2009 parliamentary elections.

Meetings of the National Commission for European Integration

The National Commission for European Integration convened in ordinary meetings on December 3 and 25, 2007. As usually, the chief of state, Mr. Vladimir Voronin chaired the meetings. The meeting from 3 December 2008RO discussed the results of the Moldova-EU cooperation and of the European integration process, in particular:

The results of the November 12 meeting of the Moldova-EU Cooperation Subcommittee 1 “Trade and Investments” and Regional Working Group COEST Troika;
Progresses relating to Moldova’s efforts to join the Energy Community Treaty;
Actions taken to ensure institutional and financial conditions needed to implement European sanitary-veterinary standards;
Presentation of legislative acts adopted by Moldovan Parliament in 2008 and legislative documents planned to be adopted by the end of 2008;
Progresses in implementing priorities of the European Integration Agenda for 2008.

At the December 25 meeting, the commission reviewed results of implementation of the European Integration Agenda for 2008 and discussed issues related to the drafting by Government of the European Integration Agenda for 2009. A report on implementation of the 2008 Agenda, as well as the new European Integration Agenda will be released in January 2009. Another topic discussed by the commission was the concept of the scheme of the Moldovan negotiation delegation for the new EU-Moldova Agreement, worked out on the basis of experience of Baltic countries, Croatia, Western Balkans and Ukraine. It was noted that Moldova has six months to form and train the negotiation team and get ready for negotiating the new agreement with EU. The nominal composition of the Moldovan negotiation delegation will be introduced to the Government in early 2009 in order to approve it.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova-Romania

Relations between Moldova and Romania did not marked some qualitative evolutions; the events happened during December 2008 only highlighted the contradictory efforts of Chisinau authorities to animate the relations with Romania.

On the one hand, on December 24, the Ministry of Interior of Moldova accused in a press-releaseRO an employee of the Romanian Consulate in Chisinau of being involved in illegal activities of granting Romania visas to Moldovan citizens in their absence. As response, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the Romanian Embassy in Chisinau has repeatedly signalled the dubious activities of the accused touristic firm to the Moldovan MFAEI, presenting documents attesting that illegal acts were filled out receiving a Romanian visa.

On the other hand, on December 29, the newly-nominated Romanian minister of foreign affairs, Cristian Diaconescu, met the Moldovan ambassador to Romania, Lidia Gutu, who transmitted the congratulations of the Moldovan minister of foreign affairs. During the meeting the parts “has expressed their wishRO to continue the open and pragmatic collaboration between the two states for further development and deepening of bilateral relations, including for supporting Moldova’ s rapprochement to the EU”. At the same time, Cristian Diaconescu has expressed his wish to meet as soon as possible Andrei Stratan. This wish of the Romanian minister of foreign affairs sticks to the main lines of Romanian foreign policy toward EastRO, drew by the Romanian President Traian Basescu when investing the new minister of foreign affairs. Especially, Traian Basescu mentioned the need to hold on the relations with the Republic of Moldova that remains the main concern of Romania. Nevertheless, Traian Basescu affirmed that Romania made it all possible to dynamise the Moldovan-Romanian relations from both diplomatic point of view and by supporting Moldovan cause at the EU, what is not valid in the Moldova’s case.

New foreign ambassadors accredited in Chisinau

On December 16, Moldova’s President received credentials from the following foreign ambassadors:

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Australia, Mrs. Margaret Eileen Twomey;
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Egypt, Mrs. Sanaa Esmail Atalllah Eesmail;
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Thailand, Mr. Suphot Dhirakaosal;
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ireland, Mr. John Morahan;
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Italy, Mr. Stefano De Leo;
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Tadashi Izawa;
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Georgia, Mr. Levon Metreveli.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

ECHR decisions

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has pronounced decisions in the following cases in the period concerned: Unistar Ventures GmbH vs. Moldova, Tudor-Auto S.R.L. (no. 1), Triplu-Tudor S.R.L. and Tudor-Auto S.R.L. (no. 2) vs. Moldova, Avram vs. Moldova, Levinta vs. Moldova, and Navoloaca vs. Moldova.

In the first case, the Court has unanimously established violation of the property right, as the Moldovan Government had refused to reimburse the applicant company the amount of money it had participated with in forming the statutory capital of a joint air agency, after the Moldovan Government unilaterally decided to cancel the contract on building of the joint company concerned. The Court granted 6,700,000 Euro to the applicant in pecuniary damage, 3,000 Euro in non-pecuniary damage and 9,855 Euro in costs and expenses.

As regards the cases Tudor-Auto S.R.L. (no. 1), Triplu-Tudor S.R.L. and Tudor-Auto S.R.L. (no. 2) vs. Moldova, the Court indicated violation of the right to a fair trial, property right and right to an effective recourse. The Court is further due to establish the size of pecuniary damage.

In the cases Avram vs. Moldova and Navoloaca vs. Moldova, the Court established violation of the right to a fair trial, granting 5,000 Euro in non-pecuniary damage to applicant Navoloaca.

The Court established in the case of Levinta vs Moldova the torture and violation of the right to a fair trial, granting 16,000 Euro to applicants in non-pecuniary damages and 2,000 Euro overall in costs and expenses.

Republic of Moldova has ended its Regional presidencies exercised during 2008

In December 2008, Moldova ended its Presidency in 4 regional arrangements: Central European Initiative (CEI), Centre for Security Cooperation — RACVIAC, CEFTA, and the South Eastern Europe Health Network. On this occasion on December 23, 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration posted the activity reports on the official web page of Moldovan Presidencies to regional initiatives — www.chairmanship.mfa.md.

e-democracy.md