Foreign Affairs on September 1–18, 2009

European Integration

European Union will support Republic of Moldova to overcome the economic crisis

The special representative of the European Commission in Chisinau, Cesare de Montis, met Parliament Speaker Mihai Ghimpu on September 16 and assured that the European Union is ready to provide the Republic of Moldova with the necessary support to overcome the economic crisis, inclusively by calling upon international financial organisations. As well, Cesare de Montis called for the resumption of negotiations on the new Moldova-EU agreement.

The European Union also expressed support to the new Government via its Special Representative in Chisinau, Kalman Miszei, who assured that EU will cooperate with the new Government, political parties and Moldovan society, regardless of the internal political situation. However, Miszei continued, both the EU and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank would like Moldova to overcome the political crisis by establishing a political consensus needed to avoid new parliamentary elections and work out long-term action and cooperation plans with the future Government.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Romania

After the Coalition for European Integration got the ruling and the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova went into opposition, both Moldovan and Romanian authorities gave clear signs for thawing the bilateral relations. The Bucharest leadership, which earlier supported the parties participating in the coalition, reconfirmed its support to the new governance. As well, the Romanian Parliament expressed plans to set soon a National Agency for Citizenship in charge with facilitating the regaining of Romanian citizenship and to open a Parliamentary Bureau in Chisinau for the “educational formation of children, regaining of citizenship, voting mode”^[1].

Chisinau has also taken concrete actions to restore the Moldovan-Romanian relations. On September 17, the interim president of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Ghimpu, signed a decree which cancelled the visa requirements for Romanian citizens. At the same time, the candidate to the office of Moldovan prime minister, Vlad Filat, informed that after cancelling the visa requirements for Romania, the new Government will consider the issues on signing of the small border traffic agreement and opening of Romanian consulates in Cahul and Balti.

Republic of Moldova — Russia

The special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, A Nesterenko, explained at a briefingRU on September 3 the formal position of the Russian Federation towards situation in the Republic of Moldova. According to the Russian official, Russia is ready to keep developing the relations with Moldova in key areas of mutual interest. Representatives of the Coalition for European Integration have repeatedly expressed their position regarding the importance of the Moldova-Russia relations and necessity to develop them.

Republic of Moldova — China

On September 7, the head of the delegation of the National Assembly of People’s Representatives from China (ARP), member of the ARP Permanent Committee, Hu Kangsheng, chairman of the ARP Legal Commission, met the outgoing president of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, and outgoing Premier Zinaida Greceanii. The officials discussed economic cooperation between the two countries, with the Chinese representative expressing the interest of China’s authorities to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship with Moldova.

Note by ADEPT: The Chinese ARP representative did not meet any member of the Coalition for European Integration and Moldovan Speaker Mihai Ghimpu.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

ECHR decisions

On September 17, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) pronounced the decision on the application Manole and Others vs. Moldova, unanimously indicating the violation of freedom of expression. The Court did not order any damages, reserving this issue for a separate decision. Under the ECHR decision, the Moldovan Government and the applicant company shall submit written observations on this issue to the Court and eventually sign an amicable agreement within three months. (Sources: www.echr.coe.int, www.lhr.md)

PACE Report on implementation of Resolution 1666 (2009) concerning the functioning of democratic institutions by Moldova

On September 9, CoE co-rapporteurs Josette Durrieu (France, Socialist Group) and Egidijus Vareikis (Lithuania, PPE/CD) presented during the sitting of the PACE Monitoring Committee the report on the implementation of Resolution 1666 (2009) concerning the functioning of democratic institutions by Moldova. The report notes that the fresh elections of 29 July 2009 have not resolved the political crisis and institutional deadlock in Moldova and, therefore, PACE calls upon the dominant coalition and the opposition to enter into meaningful negotiations on the election of the chief of state and avoid new parliamentary elections. As well, the Monitoring Committee calls upon the Moldovan authorities to continue to work on the implementation of Resolution 1666 (2009), in strict compliance with the recommendations of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg.

↑ Statement delivered by Romanian Senator Viorel Badea at a news conference in Chisinau on September 1, 2009.

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