Foreign Affairs on January 1–16, 2011

Excerpts from the Governmental Action Program: European Integration: Freedom, Democracy, Welfare 2011–2014, in terms of foreign policy

European integration is declared as a fundamental objective of domestic and foreign policy of Moldova. Government plans to promote a balanced foreign policy based on developing mutually beneficial relationships with both partners in the West, as well as with those in the East. Also, consolidation of strategic partnership relations with the EU, Romania, Ukraine, USA and the Russian Federation will be continued.

Government proposes to accomplish the following actions:

in the area of European integration:

to ensure free movement of Moldovan citizens in EU by implementation of the Action Plan on visa liberalization;
to implement actions included in Mobility Partnership between the EU and Moldova
to harmonize national legislation with the acquis communautaire, in context of negotiation of the Association Agreement, of other agreements under negotiation between Moldova and EU and, accordingly, of the visa liberalization process;
to ensure energy security of the country through the instruments available to EU and integration into the European energy market;
to develop and implement communication strategies (internal and external) on European integration with civil society, EU external factors and, accordingly, with other international actors;
Negotiation and implementation of the norms of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with European Union.

in bilateral and multilateral foreign policy:

to strengthen bilateral legal framework with Romania, proceeding from the interests of both countries;
to revive trilateral cooperation projects and the revitalization of cross-border cooperation with Romania and Ukraine;
to intensify bilateral political dialogue with Ukraine and to recover the mechanisms for cooperation and consultation in areas of common interest: to deepen economic cooperation, settlement of Transnistrian conflict, European integration, energy security, regional and international cooperation;
to regulate the property relations based on mutual interest and to settle the border demarcation issues between Ukraine and Moldova;
to deepen bilateral relations with the U.S. and as result to exclude Republic of Moldova from the scope of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment;
to developing political and economic relations with the Russian Federation based on the principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation;
to enhance cooperation with the Russian Federation, through the mechanisms established by negotiations in order to secure a comprehensive and viable solution for Transnistrian conflict under conditions of observing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova;
to strengthen bilateral relations with European partners (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands) and new EU member states (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Slovenia) and fully capitalize the assistance provided within European integration, including through transfer of experience of new EU-member states;
to deepening relations with Azerbaijan and Georgia in terms of common interests for conflict resolution and democratic and economic development in the GUAM and the Black Sea area;
to develop cooperative relationships with China, Japan, India, Turkey and South Korea, with other global and regional ascending actors or emerging-market states;
to promote political dialogue and cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States in order to capitalize the advantage related to the free movement of persons, trade development, social sphere and the cultural and humanitarian exchanges. To conclude a multilateral agreement establishing a free trade area;
to intensification political, security and commercial cooperation with/ within organizations in Central and South East Europe, the Danube and Black Sea area, to which Moldova is a party;
to strengthen the partnership relations with NATO;
to use the relevant UN structures to support and reaffirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova and attract technical assistance that’s able to support internal reforms;
to promote national interests through OSCE, including also the context of efforts to revitalize the system of control over the conventional weapons in Europe.

in the area of protecting the rights and interests of citizens abroad:

to defend the interests of Moldovan citizens abroad and to provide qualitative consular services;
to simplify the consular activities and procedures, particularly documenting the citizens abroad. To implement some innovative forms of organizing consular assistance (increasing the number of distance-services offered etc.);
To improve and extend the institution of the honorary consulate;
to intensify the bilateral dialogue with states with large communities of Moldovan citizens and to sign agreements on their social protection;
to develop a comprehensive state policy to support people from Moldova residing abroad, including the creation of necessary institutional framework and develop an action plan to support them.

European Integration

European and international officials welcome the formation of Government Filat-2 by the European Integration Alliance

Formation of the new government Filat-2 and reconstruction of European Integration Alliance was welcomed by many European and international officials. Supporting messages came from European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Fule, President of European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, U.S. State Department. In their messages, they have positively assessed the progress made by the Government Filat-1, and also stressed the need to continue economic and democratic reforms. They also expressed the hope that political forces will be able to elect the head of state so as to avoid the perpetuation of political instability. At the same time, the European Union has reiterated its commitment to deepen relations with the Republic of Moldova, and the U.S. also reiterated its commitment to provide financial and technical assistance through the Compact Program for Moldova’s agricultural development and infrastructure.

Bilateral relations

Signing the Program Moldova-Turkey to support food safety

On January 14 the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova (MAIA) and the Turkish Cooperation and Development Administration (TIKA) signed a Protocol of Cooperation “Program to support food safety”. The program aims to support individual households active in zootechnic area.

According to MAIA releaseRO the activities provided by the program also include: to train veterinarians from all districts in the area of food safety, to improve the situation in the sector of sheep and cattle farming, works to improve animal breeding by crossing local and imported breeds, as well as organization of industrial chain for purchasing and processing the milk. Program duration is of 3 years. In the first year, TIKA will allocate EUR 500,000 for this program.

Multilateral relations

Republic of Moldova — OSCE

Starting with January 1, 2011 Lithuania took over from Kazakhstan the presidency in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). On January 13, 2011 within a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Lithuania, Audronius Ažubalis, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, has presented Lithuanian Presidency Priorities for 2011. These are:

to register tangible progress in addressing protracted conflicts;
to enhance the OSCE profile with regard to transnational threats, including those emanating from the territory of Afghanistan;
to enhance and promote media freedom;
to promote tolerance education;
to define common principles on energy security;
to promote regional cooperation.

With reference to the protracted conflicts, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said Lithuania will make efforts to resume negotiations in “5+2” format on Transnistrian issue, to re-establish OSCE presence in Georgia and to boost the political negotiations on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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