Activity of the President on September 16–30, 2006

Decrees

The chief of state has signed a decree on appointment of Victoria Iftodi as Moldovan Ambassador to France. At the same time, Iftodi was revoked from the post of minister of justice.

The chief of state has awarded the Civic Merit Medal to Mr. Christopher J.Borgen, professor of law at the U.S. St.John’s University, and Mr. A.Meyer, chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He awarded the state medals for contribution to development and deepening of Moldovan-American relations of cooperation in the field of international law. The awarded persons are authors of the report “Thawing a Frozen Conflict: Legal Aspects of the Separatist Crisis in Moldova”, which was unveiled in Chisinau last summer and taken over by Government as a guide for the use in the country reintegration process (GD # 891 from 03.08.2006).

Vladimir Voronin has awarded the Honour Order to the special representative of the Council of Europe (CoE) secretary-general to Moldova, Vladimir Philipov. The president awarded Philipov as a sign of high appreciation for merits in developing the relations between Moldova and the CoE, substantial contribution to promotion of democratic reforms in our country. Ambassador Philipov has recently completed his mission to Moldova.

The National Institute of Physical Education and Sport was reorganised into the State University of Physical Education and Sport under the presidential decree # 771 from 21.09.2006. The decree obliges the Ministry of Education and Youth to approve the new status of the university and to distribute the admission quotas on specialties every year.

Sittings. Decisions. Statements

Examination of the Transnistrian problem

After returning from summer holidays, the Moldovan president convoked a sitting on September 16 on situation in the Transnistrian region on the eve of the referendum organised by separatist authorities. Taking part in the sitting were speaker, prime minister, minister of foreign affairs and European integration, minister of reintegration, interior minister, head of the Information and Security Service, and presidential adviser for interior policy. They examined issues related to situation in the security zone, circulation of goods in the Transnistrian section of the Moldova-Ukraine border, political situation in the eastern breakaway enclave. Vladimir Voronin highlighted the importance of a maximum stability in the security zone, indicating the need to continue the implementation of measures of social and legal support of population and economic agents from the Transnistrian region. Moldovan authorities will continue the peaceful country unification policy with calm and firmness.

Moldova’s president received Louis O-Neill, head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, on September 21 and discussed the OSCE’s strong stance on non-recognition of the so-called Transnistrian referendum and its results. Vladimir Voronin described the resumption of the Transnistrian settlement negotiation process as necessary and opportune.

Concerns with GDP growth

The chief of state has convoked a sitting on identification of possibilities to ensure a constant growth of Gross Domestic Product under the current negative trends. Vladimir Voronin outlined the need of examining the extensive and intensive factors, which contribute to formation of GDP and proposed the implementation of an adequate investment policy, reduction of share of the shadow economy as solutions. The chief of state noted that though the GDP has grown in the past five years, it did not reach the level of 1991 and an action plan aimed at restoring at least the level of GDP registered in that period is needed in this context.

Development of commercial-economic relations with Ukraine

Vladimir Voronin has chaired a sitting with the participation of governmental officials that examined the commercial-economic relations with Ukraine, respect for the bilateral free trade regime, possibilities to enhance the Moldovan exports to this country, especially of wines and agri-food products. Voronin highlighted the special interest of Moldovan authorities to permanently improve the legal basis of bilateral trade exchanges, with respect for legitimate interests of the sides and norms of the international law. The president recommended the Government to examine these problems within the Moldovan-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission soon.

Statement on agenda of the U.N.

The Moldovan president has delivered a statement on agenda of the U.N. General Assembly, saying that the 61st session of the General Assembly is especially important because Moldova and its GUAM partners have managed for the first time to include the issue of the worst political problems of the region in the agenda of the Assembly. He said among others:

the Moldovan authorities consider that it is abnormal that the U.N. did not discuss at all the frozen conflicts in the post-Soviet region;
the goal of Moldova’s efforts within the U.N. is to tell the truth to the entire world community about what is happening in the areas of frozen conflicts, what is happening in Transnistria, to tell the nature of this conflict, the essence of initiatives of the Chisinau authorities, the current perspectives of a definitive settlement of this conflict;
the Moldovan Government sees its task in breaking the wall of silence around the Transnistrian conflict at the global level, mobilising the huge and multilateral potential of the U.N., which is capable to give a new impulse to the process of definitive settlement of frozen conflicts in the post-Soviet region.

New tasks for Chisinau City Hall

Vladimir Voronin has chaired a sitting on arrangement of the Valea Morilor park in Chisinau and called for the capital and complex reconstruction of the park and renovation of all objects inside of it. The chief of state indicated the opportunity of studying the experience of other countries in the field of sanitation of water basins and implementation of modern technologies for reanimation of the lake in the Valea Morilor park.

The Chisinau City Hall is due to draft a rearrangement strategy of the park, to start projecting works and to evacuate the water from the lake in order to clean it. The president noted that the implementation of the rearrangement project is important both for bringing one of central public gardens of Chisinau into relief and for improving the ecological condition of the capital.

Exchange of opinions about history

The chief of state has convoked a sitting on introduction of the integrated history course in pre-university education. Taking part in the sitting were decision-making officials of the Government, Parliament, education and science sectors, representatives of the Association of Historians. Vladimir Voronin told the sitting that he gets involved for the first time in talks on introduction of the integrated history course in the pre-university education system and he is concerned with so difficult start and with the fact that the talks on this issue threaten to split the society. The chief of state considers that divergences regarding the implementation of the integrated history course in the education system must be discussed calmly at sittings, roundtables, seminars, not in the street. The European integration was declared a strategic objective of our country through the March 2005 unanimous vote of 101 members of the Parliament and this fact means inclusively adjustment to exigencies of the European educational community, with the introduction of the integrated history in educational institutions being a small important step toward integration. It was underlined the need of making a difference between “historical science” and “historical education”, with the latter following the final goal to cultivate the sentiment of patriotism, devotion and sacrifice for country, nation, national values, consciousness and historical memory. At the same time, it was noted that European countries have passed from the ethnocentric system (based on history of one nation) to multiculturalism and pluralism of opinions in the history teaching process. Voronin stressed that the history cannot be taught in pre-university institutions on basis of one source only because an ideal, perfect textbook does not exist and, therefore, the teaching of history requires more sources capable to present different opinions, viewpoints, and interpretations of one or another event. Scientists of academic institutions were reproached with lacking scientific studies of synthesis, which would establish the place of Moldova and Moldovans in European and universal history, as well as works which would reflect the contemporary history of our state. Many experts have bitterly criticised the contents of the integrated history textbooks, invoking wrong facts, non-transparent elaboration, and inappropriate contents for the current level of development of science. Representatives of educational authorities said that the debates on this issue have a political nature while children and students are deliberately attracted in these debates. Finally, Voronin called for the immediate elimination of the signalled drawbacks from contents of textbooks and for the creation of an expertise group, which would include representatives of all interested institutions or associations, to examine the second edition of integrated history books. According to Voronin, the events will be reflected honestly in schoolbooks, without attempts to interpret or rewrite the history.

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