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HomeMEDIA RESOURCES20096 November 2009 - NATO PA delegation visit to Moldova highlights the country’s new ambitions but also serious challenges ahead

6 November 2009 - NATO PA delegation visit to Moldova highlights the country’s new ambitions but also serious challenges ahead

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A delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), led by Marc Angel (Luxembourg), Special Rapporteur on Moldova for the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security, travelled to the Republic of Moldova on 2-4 November 2009. The NATO parliamentarians met representatives of the new quadripartite coalition formed following the 29 July parliamentary elections – the Alliance for European Integration – who presented their ambitious reform agenda, and underlined their desire to give the country and its citizens a “second chance.” The new government’s priorities include promoting European integration and the approximation of Moldova’s legal framework to European standards; consolidating the rule of law; and countering the effects of the financial and economic crisis on the country’s economy.

The NATO PA Delegation with the President of the Parliament, Mihai Ghimpu and some members of the Parliament of Moldova

According to Mr. Angel, “this ambitious reform programme is welcome. The visit of our delegation comes at a decisive moment for the Republic of Moldova. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly has a useful role to play in helping the Moldovan Parliament strengthen the democratic control of the defence and security sector.” On the question of Moldova-NATO relations, Mr. Angel insisted on the fact that “the current framework – the Individual Partnership Action Plan and the other instruments of the Partnership for Peace – offers plenty of room for developing further the co-operation between the Republic of Moldova and NATO. It is important to better inform the Moldovan population about NATO, about the Alliance ’s transformation since the end of the Cold War, as well as about the benefits of the NATO-Moldova partnership.”

Nonetheless, the visit also underlined the serious challenges that Moldova continues to face. After two consecutive parliamentary elections in the spring and summer of 2009, the political situation is not yet completely stabilised. On 10 November a new vote on the election of the President of the Republic will take place in Parliament. Should the election fail, another round of parliamentary elections could be necessary. This vote thus represents an important test of the ability of the country’s political factions to overcome their differences and reach the necessary three-fifths majority required for the election of the new President. The new coalition government will also have to demonstrate that it is able to maintain unity throughout its mandate.

The unresolved conflict over Transnistria is certainly Moldova ’s most complex challenge. Negotiations in the “5+2” format (Moldova, Transnistria, Russia, Ukraine, OSCE, plus the United States and the European Union) have been suspended for almost three years. On 6 November, all the participants will gather in Vienna for a meeting organised by the Greek Presidency of the OSCE. In the meetings they held in Chisinau and Tiraspol, NATO PA delegates heard however that no dramatic outcome should be expected from the Vienna meeting. There are profound differences between the parties on certain key questions pertaining to the resolution of the conflict, especially on a possible evolution of the peacekeeping format.

The Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security will discuss Mr Angel’s report “The Republic of Moldova: Internal Challenges; Prospects for Euro-Atlantic Integration” at the Annual Assembly in Edinburgh on the 14 – 17 November 2009.

Click here to read the report “The Republic of Moldova : Internal Challenges; Prospects for Euro-Atlantic Integration” [171 CDS 09 E] and here to read a more detailed report of the visit.

 
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