Foreign Affairs on December 1–15, 2009

European integration

Meeting of foreign ministers within the Eastern Partnership

The first meeting of foreign ministers within the Eastern Partnership (EP) was held on December 8, in Bruxelles. The meeting drew high level participation from the 27 EU Member States, the European Commission, the six Eastern European Partner countries — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and European institutions. The participants discussed about the achievements realized during the first year of implementation of the Eastern Partnership and established the priorities for the next year. During the Ministerial meeting, four representatives of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, presented to the ministers the conclusions and recommendations of the Civil Society Forum, which met for the first time in Brussels on 16–17 November.

As significant achievement was recognized the adoption of Work Programmes of the four thematic cooperation (1. democracy, good governance and stability; 2. economic integration and convergence with EU sectoral policies; 3. energy security; 4. Contacts between people) for the next two years and the launch of Flagship Initiatives on Integrated Border Management and Regional Electricity Markets, Improved Energy Efficiency and Increased use of Renewable Resources, as well the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership. During the first quarter of 2010 the two remaining flagship initiatives for Small and Medium Enterprises and on Environmental governance will be launched.

The ministers underlined the need to make further progress in line with the priorities of the Partnership, in particular regarding the negotiations on Association Agreements, including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas, where appropriate, mobility of citizens, availability of funding from EIB, EBRD and international financial institutions to the Eastern Partnership, the Comprehensive Institution-Building Programmes etc.

During the meeting, Moldovan minister for Foreign Affairs, Iurie Leanca stressed the commitment of the Republic of Moldova to use all opportunities granted by the Partnership, stating that Moldova’s objectives within the Eastern Partnership are: the continued strengthening of relations with the EU, the opportunities for an Association Agreement, a free trade agreement and visa liberalisation.

Note by ADEPT: Although the EU confirmed that the future Agreement to be signed with the Republic of Moldova will an Association Agreement, it will not provide an European perspective. There are low chances that one of the states partners to the Eastern Partnership will become a candidate country to join EU in the nearest future.

Bilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Romania

In early December, the Romanian Foreign Ministry made an inventory of actions to be taken at level of administration with the purpose to enforce decisions agreed after the November 13–14 visit by Moldovan prime minister to Bucharest. According to the interim foreign minister of Romania, Catalin Predoiu, the current relationship between Romania and Republic of MoldovaRO is excellent of work and pragmatic.

The Chisinau Government welcomes the opening of Romanian authorities. According to a press statement, Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat confirmed that the Republic of Moldova will keep very good and necessary relations with Romania, no matter who will be elected president of Romania.

Republic of Moldova — Russia

The Republic of Moldova keeps doing its best to establish pragmatic relations with the Russian Federation and develop economic cooperation with this country. The deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar was on a working visit to Moscow on December 11 and met there the co-chairman of the Russian-Moldovan intergovernmental commission, Andrei Fursenko, Russian minister of education and science, as part of the 44^th Meeting of the CIS Economic Council. According to a statement delivered to Novosti-Moldova AgencyRO, Valeriu Lazar stated that Russia is the key strategic partner for Moldova and good cooperation with this country is the No.1 factor to stabilise the economy of Moldova.

Republic of Moldova — Slovakia

The Slovakian Government has provided a 35,000-euro grant to Moldova for social projects. It will fund 7 projects aimed to renovate social facilities in several villages and repair roads. (According to Infotag)

Republic of Moldova — USA

The U.S. ambassador to Moldova, Mr. Asif J. Chaudhry, told a news conference on December 1 that the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Account of the US Government has decided to give green light to the 262-million-dollar Compact Programme for Moldova. The assistance will be provided under the shape of a grant within 5 years to assist two sectors: the agriculture (renovation of 11 irrigation systems) and the transport (renovation of roads). The Compact Programme for Moldova will be signed in Washington in the second half of January 2010.

At the same time, the Moldovan authorities seek a strategic partnership agreement with the USA, which would strengthen the bilateral political dialogue, develop commercial-economic collaboration and cooperation in international security area. While meetingRO Celeste Wallander, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, Moldova’s Parliament Speaker and interim President Mihai Ghimpu reported that the draft agreement was already delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau.

Republic of Moldova — Poland

Competent organs of Poland and Moldova began negotiations on December 10 to provide a 15-million-dollar credit for covering the budgetary deficit of Moldova. According to preliminary agreements, the credit will be released for a one-year term and a 3–4-percent interest rate.

Multilateral cooperation

Republic of Moldova — Council of Europe

ECHR decisions

In the period examined, the European Court of Human Rights has pronounced judgements in the following cases: Gavrilovici vs. Moldova, Leva vs. Moldova and Fedotov vs. Moldova. The Court established violation of the right to not be subjected to torture and degrading treatment, freedom of expression, right to a fair trial and effective recourse, right to protection of property, right to freedom and security, right to know the reasons of arrest. Overall, the Court granted 18,300 Euros to applicants in pecuniary, non-pecuniary damages and costs and expenses.

Republic of Moldova — OSCE

During December 2–3 Athens hosted the OSCE Ministerial Council, attended by a Moldovan delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, minister of foreign affairs and European integration.

The meeting focussed on the dialogue regarding the European security architecture (known as Corfu Process) in front of new anti-security risks. At the end of the meeting the participants adopted several declarations and decisions concerning the future dialogue on the Corfu Process, peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, consolidation of energy security cooperation, etc.

The Moldovan foreign minister addressed the meeting and called for the immediate and unconditioned resumption of the 5+2 Transnistria settlement negotiations, complete withdrawal of Russian forces and munitions from the Transnistrian region and transformation of the current peacekeeping mission into an international civil observation mission.

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