Activity of the President on June 15–30, 2006

Decrees

The president of Moldova signed a decree on June 15, giving green light to applications of 14 citizens for the Moldovan citizenship and two decrees allowing 172 persons to renounce to the Moldovan citizenship.

On Friday, June 23, the chief of state signed a decree awarding the Honour Order to Mr. William Hill, head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, for special merits in developing cooperation between the OSCE and Moldova, substantial contribution to consolidation of stability and regional security and intense peacekeeping activity.

The Moldovan president has also handed in the Civic Merit medal to Mr. John H. Winant, outgoing adviser for the U.S. Embassy to Moldova. The adviser for the U.S. Embassy was awarded the medal for substantial contribution to development and deepening of Moldovan-American collaboration.

Sittings. Decisions. Statements

Visit to Brussels

The Moldovan president paid a working visit to Brussels, Belgium, on June 21–22 and had a series of meetings with officials of European institutions, NATO and the Kingdom of Belgium. The talks mostly focussed on Moldova’s European options; energy and economic security; Transnistrian settlement; deepening of cooperation.

The chief of state has met Deputy NATO Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo and discussed the implementation of the Moldova-NATO Individual Action Plan. Voronin outlined that Moldova remains a neutral state, accordingly to Constitution, and the stance on entry in NATO will not change. The NATO representative said that the organisation and allied states will support in continuation the Moldovan authorities to implement the Moldova-NATO Action Plan. In particular, he reiterated the support of the Alliance for an unconditional fulfilment of the commitments on withdrawal of ammunition and weapons from Transnistria by the Russian Federation.

President Voronin and E.U. Council Secretary Javier Solana have discussed issues related to the implementation of reforms and latest economic developments registered in Moldova. Solana appreciated the signing of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the Paris Creditors Club. The sides also tackled measures for reformation of justice, human rights, consolidation of the state based on the rule of law, and relations of Moldova with neighbours, regional organisations and E.U.

Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner has highlighted good paces of fulfilment of the Moldova-E.U. Action Plan at a meeting with President Voronin. However, the European official recommended the Moldovan authorities to be more insistent in reforming the justice and mass media. Ferrero-Waldner noted that she supports the initiative of European Commission Vice President Franco Frattini to open an information centre of the E.U. in Chisinau to issue Schenghen visas, with the European Parliament being expected to make a final decision on this issue.

The Moldovan president has told a meeting with journalists that he does not regret the approach to the E.U. and Moldova must “do its best and as soon as possible to honour its commitments and to join the E.U.” Voronin noted that economic and political actions of the Russian Federation are a consequence and a “price that we are paying for independence, integrity and sovereignty.” As regards the E.U. visa problem for Moldovan citizens, Voronin outlined the unfairness that Moldovans will face after 2007, when Romania will join the E.U. Many Moldovans will enjoy facilities o enter the Schengen area with the Romanian citizenship, while others will be deprived of this right. In this regard, the Moldovan authorities hope to complete negotiations on facilitation of visa regime for Moldovan travelling to the E.U. and introduction of trade preferences for Moldovan wine exporters as soon as possible.

Dissatisfaction with anti-corruption struggle

Vladimir Voronin has raised deep concern with the level of coordination of activity of the domestic security service SIS and the Centre for the Struggle against Economic Crimes and Corruption (CCCEC) at a joint sitting of SIS and CCCEC colleges. The chief of state demanded the achievement of a set of proposals aimed to ensure a deep and efficient cooperation between CCCEC in preventing, discovering and combating corruption. In particular, the president highlighted the need to focus and to coordinate the efforts of SIS and CCCEC against the so-called big corruption: among state dignitaries, law and control bodies, legal institutions (but it was not said if the law enforcement bodies, the police, the security and anti-corruption services are also included). CCCEC and SIS must join their efforts till a legitimate finalisation of discovered corruption acts, it means till adoption and execution of final verdicts.

According to a press release, Vladimir Voronin said that “the state will not tolerate corruption, regardless of posts and persons,” and he demanded a urgent examination of opportunities to improve the legislative framework ensuring a control on dignitaries who will be promotes to posts (perfecting of legislation on public service, obligation of dignitaries and their families to declare their revenues and expenses, including if promoted to a post or transferred to other functions, etc.). In order to analyse the factors and conditions fuelling corruption, Voronin insisted on creation of a structure in CCCEC to make anti-corruption expertises of draft laws submitted to the Parliament, with the participation of specialists from different state structures, experts, civil society representatives, etc. It was proposed to analyse, generalise and regulate the punishing practice appropriately, to speed up the amendment of Constitution and legislative framework in order to allow the confiscation of property in case of corruption, terrorism, money-laundering, etc. The president recommended relevant authorities to stop the abusive hiding of public information as an efficient measure.

Sitting on situation in banking sector

According to the presidential press service, Vladimir Voronin convoked a working sitting on June 24 with the participation of heads of commercial banks and governmental decision-making officials, to examine the current situation in the national banking sector, impact of export restrictions on the Russian Federation’s market and strategic actions aimed at sustenance and development of the vine and wine sector through financial-bank mechanisms. The governor of the National Bank of Moldova (BNM) has reported on relations between banks and economic agents working in vine and wine sector, concluding that commercial banks for not face a very complicated situation. According to estimates of BNM, credits released by commercial banks to this sector cover only 8 percent of assets and about 14 percent of the total volume of granted credits. The distribution of these credits in the sector is favourable: the production enlargement covers 20 percent of the volume of obtained credits, while circulating means 80 percent, the BNM governor noted. Heads of banks participating in sitting confirmed that the situation in the field is calm, but noted that some individual activities are needed very much in order to establish a further development strategy for businesses.

Ascertainment of shortcomings in implementation of pilot projects

While on a visit to Calarasi, the Moldovan president has visited the hospital in the locality, which is renovated and modernises within a pilot project. Vladimir Voronin found out that the medical-sanitary institution is cosmetically repaired, but this is not enough for a capital modernisation and renovation of the hospital, in line with the concept and tasks of the pilot project, so that he ordered the suspension of works until resources are identified and the state of things is settled.

Meanwhile, the chief of state has convoked a sitting on implementation of pilot projects aimed to strengthen the technical-material basis of medical-sanitary institutions in the district centres of Glodeni, Calarasi and Ceadir-Lunga. The chief of state raised big dissatisfaction with the implementation of the pilot project in Calarasi, where the repairing works conducted by authorities unfit the established criteria because of the shortage of funds, and they are not profound and quality. The chief of state indicated the inefficiency and uselessness of continuing the works accordingly to the established scheme, calling for the change of the concept and principles of implementation of pilot projects on consolidation of technical-material base of medical-sanitary institutions. Voronin ordered the elaboration of a set of new proposals and the revision of the existing mechanism of co-participation and co-financing by district public bodies and central authorities in pilot projects.

Control on building of Wine City

Vladimir Voronin has convoked a sitting on the Wine City building project and highlighted that the success of this project for the reputation of Moldova as wine producer and enlargement quality of vineyards or implementation of modern technological standards in wine making industry are important in the same measure. Besides the goal of exhibition, business and entertainment centre, the Wine City will attract tourists and will be included in the national tourism development programme. According to information released at the sitting, the building works could start next spring. According to the concept, the residents of the Wine City — wine enterprises based in country — will be accepted at a tender and they will construct a building for multiple uses, aimed to represent concrete businesses. A part of residents’ funds will be invested in infrastructure of the Wine City, which will be an integral, functional body with modern engineering and communication networks. In this context, the chief of state has asked that contracts with future resident economic agents stipulate very strictly the conditions of activity within the project, in order to avoid any violation of the initial concept of Wine City.

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