Foreign Policy Association together with FriedrichEbert-Stiftung offer you a newsletter on foreign policy and European integration issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsletter is part of the “Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN JUNE 2020 NR.6(172) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsletter is developed by Sorina Ştefârţă, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Tatiana Molcean, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration: ”At some point, I think, they will apply a differentiated approach to the Eastern Partnership countries” 2. Editorial by Victor Chirilă, executive director of the Foreign Policy Association(APE): ”Rule of law- the great challenge of the Eastern Partnership in the Republic of Moldova” 3. Iulian Groza, Executive Director, Institute for European Policies and Reforms: ”Moldovans’ perceptions of the EU had already changed by the time of the pandemic” 4. Expert Opinion: ”It is time to focus our efforts on differentiated integration...” News in brief The European Commission approved on Friday, July 10, on behalf of the European Union, the disbursement of Euro 30 million of macrofinancial assistance for the Republic of Moldova. The second and last tranche of the current macro-financial assistance programme for our country consists of Euro 10 million in the form of a grant and Euro 20 million in the form of a long-term and low-interest loan. The programme will help to meet the needs of external financing, respectively to reduce the economic shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The disbursement of assistance was conditional on the fulfilment of certain political preconditions, which the European Commission and the European External Action Service(EEAS) consider to have been met. In this context, the press release issued on 10 July states that sufficient intermediate progress has been made in this regard, in particular concerning the series of specific short-term actions related to justice, anti-corruption, the media and civil society. Also on July 10, the European Commission made public the Report on the fulfilment of the visa liberalization requirements by the countries of the Western Balkans and three Eastern Partnership countries- Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. According to the report, the above-mentioned countries continue to meet the visa liberalization requirements, while the free movement brings economic, social and cultural benefits. The report focuses primarily on security and migration, which requires further action, even if“the vast majority of visa-free citizens are bona fide travellers with legitimate reasons to travel to the EU”.“Overall, the visa-free travel scheme has achieved its goal: strengthening people-topeople contact between the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU, including with the diaspora communities in the EU Member States, improving business opportunities and cultural exchanges, and allowing citizens to get to know the EU better”, states the document, covering the calendar year 2019 and the first half of 2020. The post-2020 cooperation objectives were discussed at the virtual meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Eastern Partnership(EAP) countries, held on 1 July. Minister Oleg Țulea underlined the importance of deepening the political dialogue and agreeing on concrete long-term sectoral objectives, which will contribute to strengthening the resilience of the EaP countries, but also to deepening the integration processes with the EU. In this sense, the importance of continuing the dialogue of the associated partners with the European Commission on the implementation of reforms was mentioned. The following were mentioned among the priority objectives: connecting to the Single Euro Payments Area(SEPA), reducing roaming tariffs between the EU and EaP countries, opening up the EaP countries’ access to the European road transport market. Minister Oleg Țulea also expressed interest in strengthening security cooperation and welcomed the EU’s readiness to deepen cooperation in the area of health system. All the ideas communicated will serve as a basis for the European Commission in preparing the consolidated version of the objectives post-2020. The Eastern Partnership post-2020, the challenge of being more vocal and more visible Sorina Ștefârță June 2020 that has just past was not only expected for the“inaugural gong” of the holidays. This June, in Zagreb, Croatia, was to take shape the next decade of a project that very few gave it big chances of life in its infancy, in the distant 2009. It is about the Eastern Partnership and the Summit dedicated to it, which, like thousands of other events around the world, was turned upside down by the pandemic and ... postponed for next year. To the surprise of many, however, the pandemic did not stop the talks on the Eastern Partnership. On the contrary, in a period that you would have expected it to be more of a total freeze - especially in the EU which was hit hard by the virus - the Eastern Partnership has been propelled, with the contribution of the European Union, to a new dimension of integration and regional resilience to global threats. It happened, first of all, due to the fact that most of the European support offered to our country to fight the pandemic and its economic consequences came in the context of our membership of the Eastern Partnership. A project launched with the aim of strengthening and deepening the political and economic relations between the EU, the Member States and the six states in the eastern neighbourhood of the community- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. A project that has developed according Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

2 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates to the interests, ambitions and progress of each partner, allowing for differentiation, so that three of the six countries are associated to the EU. But there seems to be something more at the root of this rebirth of the Eastern Partnership, apart from money and aid. And this is the perspective of the future. On 18 March this year, with the pandemic at the European level being in full swing, the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy presented a proposal for the long-term policy objectives of the Eastern Partnership beyond 2020. And the announced goal, despite the pandemic, was the same- progress: strengthening democratic institutions, rule of law, environmental and climate resilience, digital transformation and promoting a fair and inclusive society. At some point, I think, they will apply a differentiated approach to the Eastern Partnership countries Tatiana Molcean, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration “The power of our neighbours is also the power of the European Union; The Eastern Partnership remains an essential element of the EU foreign policy,” said the High Representative/ Vice President Josep Borrell.“We are sending a very clear message to the Eastern partner countries: we will work closely to address today’s challenges as a whole, including the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,” said Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. And the support actions that followed proved his words... The European Union once again invites us to build together for the benefit of all. A partnership that creates- for resilient, sustainable and integrated economies; a partnership that protects- for responsible institutions, rule of law and security; a greening Partnership- towards environmental and climate resilience; a connecting Partnership- for a resilient digital transformation; an enabling Partnership- for resilient, fair and inclusive societies. A real galactic... And all we have to do is to find our place, be more visible and make ourselves heard. This is also what the current edition of the newsletter is about. O n 10 July 2020, our country came across two pieces of news that, as required by gender rules, were divided into“good” and“bad”. The good news came from Brussels, where the European Commission had made public the long-awaited decision on the disbursement of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance for the Republic of Moldova, worth 30 million euros. The second news came this morning from Rome and informed us that the Republic of Moldova has entered the list of 13 states against which, because of the inefficient management of the pandemic crisis, severe restrictions on access to the Italian territory are imposed. Because both news fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, I discussed with Tatiana Molcean, Secretary of State responsible for European integration within the foreign office, about what these decisions mean for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, but also for the future of our relations with the EU. The decision of the European Commission encourages us Mrs Molcean, let’s start with the good news- the European Commission’s announcement on the disbursement of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance agreed in 2017. What does Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

3 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates this mean for the country, apart from the financial component? The decision on disbursement of assistance is a long-awaited one in Chisinau, but also at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in particular, and this is because a lot of work has been done to meet the specific and very strict conditions stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in autumn 2017. All have been fulfilled, the last being the one regarding the sanctions for money laundering, but also the ones remaining from the first tranche, such as the adoption of the Law on public procurement in the public utility system ... De facto, in addition to the general requirements- such as political stability or programme with the IMF- we had a set of specific actions for each tranche. For the second tranche, most of the conditions were met in 2018, among the most important being the adoption of new legislation in the financialbanking sector or in the insurance sector. Obviously, political conditionalities are added to the above, which depend mainly on politicians. Therefore, the decision of the European Commission is important for at least two reasons: 1) we really need the money and 2) it confirms that, when certain reforms are carried out, there is a result, a kind of reward. And it is an encouragement to continue – for both us, the Foreign Ministry, and the other ministries and institutions involved. Can we talk about the third tranche today? No, and there are objective reasons for that, and it’s a shame that speculations are being made on this subject. Yes, in a way, the Republic of Moldova is guilty of missing this tranche. However, given that the first tranche, in fact, came only in November 2019- although the conditions had been met in 2018-, plus all the political changes that took place in 2017-2019, with dysfunctional parliament and elections, plus the change of governments, it was quite impossible to meet, within a reasonable time, the stipulated requirements. We believe that we have done our utmost under this Memorandum of Understanding. In addition, if we take into account the specification that there must be at least three months between instalments- and the Agreement expires on July 18- we think it is good that we have received the second installment. All the rest are assumptions That, perhaps, in 2017 our implementation capacities were not evaluated correctly... That we relied on a unit of the political class to allow a faster adoption of key laws... We don’t know for sure. What is certain though is that the EU has gone lengths in setting the political conditions for a MacroFinancial Assistance Agreement involving both a grant and a loan element. On the one hand, it is a good thing, because it motivates us to be more active and efficient. On the other hand... you can’t make big changes with the existing context. Is there a prospect of how the money will be spent? This money goes to the budget and will be spent based on needs. Obviously, three years ago there was no pandemic and now they will also go to mitigate the effects of the health and economic crisis, caused by the new coronavirus. The 100-million-euro emergency assistance, announced by the European Commission in May and now under negotiations, will also go here. We cannot pass laws in a conveyor-belt fashion These 100 million is part of a larger amount, of three billion euros, provided for ten states in the neighbourhood of the European Union. Let me ask, as many have asked- why only 100 for the Republic of Moldova? And when do you expect the first tranche? They said in June, but we are already in July... The evaluation was made by financial experts, based on budget revenue Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md forecasts. At that stage, the talks on the Russian loan of 200 million were still valid. Plus the talks with the IMF, which are going on... It is neither fair nor productive to make comparisons. There are states in the Balkans that have received even less than us- should we automatically say that those states deserved less? As for the first tranche, we are very advanced in discussions. The agreement has already been approved by the Government- and we are among the first countries to do so- but here too there are procedures we cannot avoid. However, our plan is for the Agreement to be signed by the end of July, and for the first 50 million to come in September. And by the end of the year we expect to receive the second tranche. For this 100 million, are there conditions imposed by the EU? The first tranche is not conditional, while for the second one there are six specific conditions, which, in my opinion, are quite politicized, especially since this assistance is provided in an emergency situation. Unfortunately, I cannot make them public as long as the final document has not been made public. I can only tell you that it concerns the financial system, the transparency of public procurement in the health system, the justice and customs sectors. We would have liked to meet all the conditions this year and also to receive all the money this year, but we have to understand that the adoption by Parliament of a law is too much of a procedure and cannot be passed in a conveyor-belt fashion. Which ministry has to carry the load? Our current assessments show that most actions that relate not only to external assistance programmes, but to the entire European integration process, should be taken by the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, but also by the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment. We have a very close collaboration with both. And believe me, even the smallest decision is

4 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates prepared very rigorously to make sure it of the visa regime.” This Report, which is meets all the procedures and rigors. a comprehensive assessment of the level of implementation of the EU visa-free In order to ask to open borders for us, the number of infections has to decrease regime criteria for the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership, needs to be read at the level of language subtleties... And the key message is that we continue Let’s move on to the less pleasant news- Italy(in the meantime, similar measures against the Republic of Moldova have been imposed by Bulgaria and Hungary). What are you going to do to get the country out of this impasse? to meet the conditions that led to the liberalization of the visa regime and that there is no risk of losing this advantage. Obviously, we would like to see no remarks, no recommendations... And the Commission further recommends that we look for ways to reduce the number of Yes, we’ve been notified this morning about the ordinance of the Government in Rome. It is their legitimate decision, because, unfortunately, the situation is becoming serious again in several countries. However, let us not forget that it is a short-term restriction. In addition, the Republic of Moldova has a similar approach to citizens of other states. We are in a crisis that has swept the globe and every state is looking for solutions to protect its citizens. And it is not for us, the Foreign Office, to speak about it. Let the public health specialists speak!.. Yes, this situation creates inconveniences and frustrations. But we cannot ask them to open borders for us since we do not meet the criteria of public safety. We are following the developments, we are ready to give a helping hand(especially to the touristic companies, at present), but we cannot do it without a reasoned basis- and that would mean reducing the asylum applications lodged‘unjustifiably’ by our compatriots in the Schengen countries; to carry out information campaigns in which to explain, once again, what the visa liberalization regime entails- because it is enough to enter some Facebook groups to see that the people use the passports for work; but there are also general recommendations on the adoption of the Justice Reform Strategy, strengthening the institutional capacities and competencies of National Agency for Integrity or continuing the investigation of the bank fraud and asset recovery. So there is still work to be done, but overall the language has improved. Because, there is a difference between “urgent measures are needed” and “the authorities are recommended”. In addition, this report doesn’t mention the citizenship by investment for the simple reason that the law in question has been repealed. I consider it a positive element. number of infections. Does this mean the rumours according Speaking of borders... today the European Commission has published another document regarding the to which the pandemic will allow the European Union to abolish the visa liberalization regime is unfounded? Republic of Moldova- the third Annual Report on the visa suspension mechanism with the EU... The last four months have amplified various conspiracy theories, it’s true, and visas have not escaped untouched. I would say it’s the second good news for this July 10 th ! Good not only because of the general conclusions of the Report-“the citizens of the Republic of Moldova will continue to benefit from the liberalized visa regime with the Schengen states, and the authorities continue to meet the conditions underlying the liberalization But I can assure you that all the current restrictions are strictly related to the pandemic, and today each country is following the developments, adjusting its decisions every two weeks. I know, there are opinions that we should act on the principle of reciprocity- take the first step and open our borders, in the hope that the partners will do the same for us. But we can’t insist and put pressure on the health system just because we want to travel... it’s kind of selfish. In addition, we can remove any restrictions- if we do not improve the situation in the country, no one will allow us to go to them. We would like to focus, as much as possible, on practical aspects The liberalized visa regime, as well as the EU Association Agreement, are seen as successful achievements of the Eastern Partnership- for at least three countries. Last year, the Foreign Office was actively involved in developing suggestions for the future of this project. What is happening now at the ministry on this dimension? Indeed, last year we worked hard to formulate the post-2020 objectives of the Eastern Partnership and we had a very good cooperation with colleagues from Georgia and Ukraine in this regard. On March 18 th the European Commission released its communiqué- a very complex one, by the way- and at the June 18 th Summit the objectives were to be approved. Because of the pandemic, the Summit has been moved to 2021, respectively we are still working on improving the objectives and adjusting them to the new realities. Especially since things are specific to each of the six countries. For the three associated states, the priority is to strengthen the political dialogue with the EU, but also, going more into practice, to establish an interaction at ministerial level, for example. For we have now seen, in this crisis, how good it would have been, for example, for the Transport Ministers of the Eastern Partnership countries to have a direct communication between them, but also with Brussels. This is about the sectoral level. Then there is the draft on the roaming tariffs in the region, which was to be signed by the end of this year and which we hope will be the first step, after which we could focus on the EU countries; liberalization of the land road transport; inclusion in the Single European Payment System, which will reduce bank costs. Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

What will you do in the field of security, which is being talked about more and more? At regional level, we need to focus on strengthening the capacity to respond to hybrid threats, in all their diversity and complexity, especially to work together. At the same time, I think that the idea of a differentiated approach of the Eastern Partnership countries will have its say: it is obvious that the Member States with European aspirations(Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia) have a vision on this type of threats, while the states that are not focused on integration(Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan) treat the issue in a more relaxed way. What are the priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the second part of this turbulent year 2020? We have worked throughout the pandemic with my colleagues making enormous efforts to repatriate our fellow citizens in difficulty, to identify sources of medical and protective equipment, and to attract humanitarian aid. In the coming period, we intend to work closely with the Parliament to ensure that the laws meet the European standards, as well as to develop the new Association Agenda dating from 2021. We are working on the latter at present, identifying priorities, together with the EU colleagues. It is important to resume the dialogue with the European Union as much as possible, and then to work on the internal Action Plan. All expire in 2020, so we are starting a new stage of cooperation. Thank you for the interview and I wish you success. Sorina Ștefârță 10 July 2020 5 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates Editorial Rule of law- the great challenge of the Eastern Partnership in the Republic of Moldova I n May 2009, the Republic of Moldova joined the Eastern Partnership. The country, which had just reached the age of majority(18 years of independence), hoped that this new initiative would help it prepare to meet the main criteria for joining the European Union- strengthening institutions that guarantee democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and the development of a functioning market economy, able to cope with the competitive pressure within the EU. For economic integration and political association In the 11 years that have elapsed since then, thanks to the Eastern Partnership, the Republic of Moldova has made great progress in developing political, economic and social relations with the European Union. Taking advantage of the Brussels openness, the Chisinau authorities managed, in a relatively short period of time, to liberalize the visa regime and sign the Association Agreement with the EU, including the establishment of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, which offered Moldova the prospect of deep economic integration and political association with the European community. The implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, initiated in 2014, has had the effect of significantly increasing bilateral trade. In just the first four years of the Agreement, the exports to the EU from our country increased by 62%. Currently, the European Victor Chirilă, Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Association(APE) Union is the largest trading partner of the Republic of Moldova. In 2019, trade with the EU accounted for 66% of our total foreign trade. The European community is also the largest external financier of our country. In the last ten years, the EU has approved for our country funding of over 1.9 billion Euros, intended for the rehabilitation of transport infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, energy sector, business development and implementation of structural reforms. Much more anchored in the European space The European Union is also a major supporter of justice, police, anticorruption and anti-money laundering Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

6 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates reforms, for which tens of millions of politicians serving the oligarchs, with Euros have been allocated. To date, the a dysfunctional rule of law and an Republic of Moldova has transposed immature democracy. into its national legislation over 25,000 EU technical standards, covering various fields. Since 2009, more than 17,660 small and medium-sized enterprises in Justice reform, which came to a standstill… our country have benefited from the The EU is well aware of this reality. EU financial assistance through the In its latest report on the progress of EU4Business Programme. With the the Eastern Partnership in 2017-2020, political and financial support of the Brussels acknowledges that progress has EU, it was possible to initiate major been achieved mainly in three of the projects to interconnect the energy four priority areas, namely: a stronger system of the Republic of Moldova to economy, stronger connectivity and the European Network of Transmission a stronger society. As to the goal of System Operators for Electricity and achieving stronger governance and the Natural Gas Transmission System in rule of law, however, the successes are Romania- projects that in the coming quite modest. And this refers not only to years will contribute enormously to the Republic of Moldova, but also to the improving the energy security of our rest of the Eastern Partnership states. country. In Chisinau, more than anywhere else, Also, in the last five years, interpersonal the justice reform- the key to building contacts between EU countries and the a functioning and credible rule of law Republic of Moldova have intensified. – came to a standstill. Resonance files, As a result of the liberalization of such as the big bank fraud in 2014; the visa regime with the EU on April “Russian Laundromat”-$70 billion 28, 2014, over 2.5 million Moldovan money laundering scheme, facilitated citizens were able to travel to by political elites in the Republic of European countries, and in the period Moldova in 2010-2014; illegal extradition of 2015-2019 almost 2800 university of Turkish teachers; funding of political students and professors benefited parties by foreign oligarchs and state from academic mobility offered by the actors through offshore schemes, remain Erasmus+ Programme. uninvestigated or are classified. Undoubtedly, thanks to the Eastern Partnership, the Republic of Moldova is today much more anchored in the European space, and the EU has become the most important development partner of our country an indispensable one even... However, despite the successes mentioned, our country has extremely little progress in to meeting the key criteria for the EU membership. As in 2009, today the Republic of Moldova remains a state in transition with a hybrid political system, dominated/ controlled by oligarchs, with an opaque market economy, inefficient institutions crushed by corruption, with the justice and the press being controlled by oligarchs and political parties, with corrupt The decision of the prosecutors to remove from seizure some of the goods as part of the oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc’s case opened for money laundering, as well as a series of recent court decisions aimed at releasing some politicians and oligarchs from detention, along with the acquittal of criminals charged with murder is undermining further the impartiality and credibility of local justice. Meanwhile, after a short period of suspense, the Republic of Moldova becomes, before our eyes and the eyes of the EU, a battleground for power, control of justice and financial resources. It’s a fight being fought between the big/old oligarchs, who have not ceased to dominate the banking system, the country’s economy and a large part of the deputies in the current Parliament. The Republic of Moldova, in the face of an existential dilemma In the opinion of the Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu, the Eastern Partnership has approached a“moment of truth”- either this regional initiative is reinvented and gaining“a new breath”, or slowly but surely, it is losing its “political relevance”. In reality, not the Eastern Partnership, but the Republic of Moldova is facing an existential dilemma - either it builds a functional rule of law, or it becomes an irrelevant state, a problem state, generating uncertainty and instability at the eastern border of the European Union. From this point of view, the Eastern Partnership is more relevant than ever for our country, as it offers us not only the political support and financial assistance of the EU, but also the knowhow that the community countries have in building a true rule of law. An experience without which we will never cross the doorstep of the European Union... In the coming years, the EU aims at contributing, through the Eastern Partnership, to strengthening the resilience of the six Member States of the initiative in critical areas such as the economy, responsible institutions and the rule of law, security, environment and climate change, digital transformation and fair and inclusive societies. It is certainly an extremely ambitious goal for the Republic of Moldova, whose success will depend primarily on our ability to build a reliable rule of law, guaranteeing all legal security and functional democratic institutions, essential for any reform. However, this will be impossible to achieve without fundamentally destroying the current oligarchic system - the number one enemy of the state of the Republic of Moldova, but also of the Eastern Partnership. Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

7 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates Moldovans’ perceptions of the EU had already changed by the time of the pandemic Iulian Groza, Executive Director, Institute for European Policies and Reforms T hough some sang its funeral before it was borne, and others continued to so for years to come, the Eastern Partnership has developed and strengthened. So, for three of the six member-states, it resulted in an Association Agreement, a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area and cancellation of visas... And, once the first decade was over, it set out to draw new perspectives that will open new horizons for the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia(EU partner countries), but also for Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan. What is the place of our country today in the Eastern Partnership? Do we still have the chance to get rid of the“failing student” label as we were recently called in a study, after having lost the title of the“eminent student”, but also that of the“success story”, if you remember?.. I discussed about all this with the political analyst Iulian Groza, executive director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms. The spirit of relations with the EU is not ambitious enough Mr. Groza, our discussion is taking place the day when six years ago the Association Agreement of the Republic of Moldova with the European Union was signed. How was in your opinion this relatively short period: was is successful or rather unsuccessful? Whether we like it or not, it is obvious that today we are not where, six years ago, we imagined we would be... To blame are the objective challenges facing any state and any society, but also the multiple internal problems that we could have avoided had there been the necessary political will. A retrospective look shows us, however, that despite the impediments that have not allowed us to move forward as we would have liked, our connection with the EU today is much stronger. The European Union continues to be the largest development partner and the largest trading partner of the Republic of Moldova- and with it, the country’s strongest and most open Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md friend. And people see this, as evidenced by the latest survey conducted in the six Eastern Partnership countries, which shows that 63% of our citizens trust the European Union. At the same time, over 74% of Moldovans assess the relationship with the EU as positive; about 82% are aware of the financial support provided by the EU, of which 58% believe that the support is also effective. Ultimately, for 61% of our citizens the EU has a positive image, compared to 29% neutral image and only 9%- negative. I think this result is also due to the fact that, in the last three years, Chisinau’s relationship with Brussels has been redirected from the advanced political dialogue, as it was until 2014, to a relationship focused mainly on people. Don’t you admit that, de facto, the change of perspective took place“due” to the pandemic crisis, during which the EU came with substantial aid? It is a reality that we cannot rule out, especially since in the last few months the European Union has actively expressed its solidarity with the neighbouring countries, including the Republic of Moldova. And it did it despite the complicated political relationship with Chisinau... At the same time, if we look closely at the technical data of the survey, we see the mentioning that the face-to-face interviews were conducted between February and March 2020, respectively before the COVID-19 crisis. So something had changed, in terms of perception, already before the pandemic, and the massive support provided by the EU and the Member States- both the humanitarian aid for the health system and the financial instruments to mitigate the effects of the economic crisis- could only strengthen this attitude. It will do it for sure.

8 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates Why has this unprecedented response, At the same time, it is already clear offered by the European Union at a that the Moldovan Government has time when the EU countries themselves missed the third tranche of assistance were fighting the pandemic, clashed negotiated in 2017, amounting to EUR 40 nonetheless, more than once, with the million... almost icy reactions from the government in Chisinau? Yes, and the explanation is the lack of clear progress on the reform Probably because the European Union conditionalities which were agreed has remained consistent and has not then- and which we increasingly like given up, even during the pandemic, to call“priority actions”... All the more on the key objectives in the Republic of welcome is the opening of the European Moldova- to support reforms and actors Commission to offer the EUR 30 million of change, to help citizens and local public second tranche in parallel with the authorities. So, despite the arrows that mobilization of the Moldovan government regularly flew, I would say that the EU has – though in the last-minute and without managed to maintain dialogue. It exists much zeal – that voted the Law on both at the community level and within the non-profit organizations, laws aimed cooperation and implementation formats at combating money laundering and of the Association Agreement. But the spirit strengthening the banking system, and of these relationships is less ambitious and repealed the Law on Citizenship against not all opportunities are exploited... Investment. Thus, if we look at the papers, things seem to be moving forward. But Fortunately, Brussels is not talking just to the Chisinau government if we look more closely at the quality of the dialogue with the EU, you understand that there is not much room for goodwill or gratitude on the part of Chisinau. What kind of ambition are you talking about? At least, on the part of the country’s president who prefers to put the EU in a negative light and diminish the importance First of all, to integrate into the various formats of cooperation that the EU offers through the Eastern Partnership and to take advantage of the existing tools within these formats. Yes, this year has been a complicated one because of the pandemic, but we cannot say that the EU has abandoned us, etc. On the contrary, the European Union has supported us as never before. From what we see, including on the political dimension, it often turned a blind eye or even both eyes to the obvious problems of governance or structural of the European support. This may be his ace up his sleeve for the upcoming election period, but it is an approach that contradicts his own commitment to promoting a balanced foreign policy. Because, de facto, our foreign policy is a confused one, and the country is isolated. We do not have a normal relationship with Ukraine, we do not have a normal relationship with Romania. Only Mr. Dodon has a good relationship with Mr. Putin... reforms. In addition, in Brussels and other European capitals there are people who are thinking very honestly and very seriously how to help the Republic of Moldova. As a result Are there any chances for us to make a qualitative break as long as the political “head” says different things? of these concerns, the European Commission responded immediately to the anti-crisis macro-financial assistance, materialised in that advantageous EUR 100 million loan, which is already being negotiated and whose first tranche we hope will be disbursed in the next future. We should appreciate and capitalize on this attitude. Because it is more focused on politics, from time to time, the Government is trying to mend fences and balance the things... and the high-level dialogue. From time to time, it succeeds. Prime Minister Ion Chicu, although with periodic turmoil, has a constant dialogue with the European ambassadors accredited to Chisinau. At ministerial level, there are commitments and an ongoing dialogue with the structures of the European Commission and the EU Member States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, along with the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, maintain the dialogue on their channel- and they do so in a very active way. Even on the part of the Ministry of Justice there is a kind of activisation. It is a good thing, because, beyond the political context, if we want to advance in the implementation of systemic reforms, we need this technical, constructive and pragmatic dialogue. And also, the active involvement of nongovernmental actors, by the way, because today, fortunately, the EU partner in the Republic of Moldova is not just the Government. There is civil society and local public authorities with which the EU cooperates directly. And it is a pity that, instead of using all the potential for dialogue, all the existing energies at central and local level, and focusing them in one direction- European integration we often find ourselves as in the fable with the crab, swan and the pike. And this is not effective at all for the country... Our final and common goal should be the reforms and the presence of the Republic of Moldova on the agenda of the EU, which, let’s not forget, has enough problems even without us. We are still given the chance to modernize and get stronger The pandemic has turned many things upside down both locally, regionally and globally. How do you see the future of our relationship with the European Union? The key format of our cooperation with the EU remains the Eastern Partnership. Even if we did not achieve everything we set out at its launch, however, together with Ukraine and Georgia, we managed to move forward- we have an Association Agreement and a visa-free regime, we have strengthened our institutional framework to be able to access more funds in the energy, infrastructure and education sectors. Yes, as 11 years ago, the Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

EU is not ready to discuss accession with our countries. Instead, the EU continues to give us the chance to modernize and get stronger: through the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Area, so that we can position ourselves even more firmly in the common European market; through energy interconnection projects and access to the single euro payments area; by eliminating roaming fees and strengthening the security dimension, ensuring our resilience to external threats. These are realistic objectives, but we should formulate them clearly and give them a logical form so that, at the 2021 Partnership Summit, the European Commission can turn them into deliverables for the next ten years. It’s our big chance. What if we talk about short- and medium-term priorities? They are interconnected and interdependent. However, the Republic of Moldova should be primarily interested in the perspectives outlined by the post2020 European Commission: the rule of law, economic resilience, environment and the Green Pact, resilience of societies and community development, energy interconnection... and hence bridges, roads, the single market, the education and health sector reforms. As for the immediate priorities, there are three, in my opinion, and the pandemic has shown that they are vital: post-crisis economic recovery, including with the help of the EU and the financial packages provided to support the business environment; strengthening the health system, and it is obvious that we alone will not succeed; and, in the slightly longer term, the education sector, which has been abandoned. I would like us to have a European school and that the young people don’t have to go abroad, but also to modernize the education system at all levels- kindergartens, schools, universities. And let’s focus on the content, not just the form. We are part of the Bologna process, it is natural for us to have European curricula de facto, not just de jure. For this we do not have to invent the wheel, it is enough to take the experience of EU countries. For without an educated society, without specialists in key sectors, our country will 9 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates not be able to develop. External assistance here as well. I still believe that it is a will not save us because 1) it will not be period of opportunity in which we can set eternal and 2) young people will continue up concrete projects leading to tangible to leave. And if there is talk of supporting results. We, as exponents of the nonan Eastern Partnership University in Kiev, governmental sector, will do this. We have why not have a European University in also started discussions with colleagues Chisinau? from the three countries. But, of course, we also need the involvement of governments Several recent studies published by IPRE as only with joint effort will we approach address the security dimension of the the standards of a European democracy. Eastern Partnership. What does this mean in practice? We can and should be generators of solutions. To do this, however, we need to A close relationship on the security connect the Eastern Partnership’s policy dimension- at least between the three proposals to our development priorities. partner countries- would give us more For example, to the ones of the National opportunities, and this without any Development Strategy 2030. Without a presence in certain military alliances. De long-term plan to clearly indicate the areas facto, we need a security pact with the EU, of intervention linked to the sustainable which is already being discussed. Countries development objectives and to the that want this are exposed to security risks commitments aimed at approaching not only in the military sector, but also European standards, it will be very difficult in the banking, information and media for us to act as generators of ideas and sectors. These are hybrid threats, internal solutions. We will be chaotic from one political agents, certain external forces government to another and from one party that propagate their interests through the to another... It is a process that requires media, the church or other social actors, the support of the political class and highmaking us vulnerable. We need to create ranking decision-makers. Unfortunately, it is a system to prevent these threats and missing or, at least, there is no consistency. have a proactive cooperation framework. They come to power by pursuing their own Obviously, the final decision will depend on or party goals, not the development of the the countries involved. country. How realistic are these initiatives given the current position of our country? Personally, I did not feel too much enthusiasm in the Prime Minister Ion Chicu’s speech at the video conference of the Eastern Partnership leaders from June 18... If we look at the three associated countries, we see that the challenges are about the same: corruption, the influence of oligarchs and their connection to state resources. The difference is the approach to the priorities they have set internally and in the EU’s relationship. Georgia today, despite its internal challenges, is seen as the most determined country- it has an active diplomacy, does not hesitate and tries to seize every opportunity. Ukraine is doing the same... We are an EU partner country and no one has given up on this status, but obviously the approach matters Could the autumn elections change this damaging approach? Any election offers a chance for change. The presidential election, even if we are talking about a predominantly symbolic function, will determine the future of the Republic of Moldova. We need a head of state to act as an honest broker, to promote the citizens’ interests, to support the Government, including on the external dimension, and to support the development of the country. If we have a president who thinks one thing, speaks another and makes the third, we will remain confused. And that’s when we need, more than ever, a clear and calm internal framework. Thank you for the interview. Sorina Ștefârță 27 June 2020 Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

10 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates Expert Opinion ”It is time to focus our efforts on differentiated integration...” “E astern Partnership beyond 2020: priorities and challenges of Moldova’s relations with the European Union” was the motto of an online discussion, held on June 30th, that brought together government actors, representatives of the EU institutions, researchers and civil society. The event was organized by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) in partnership with the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The hosts set out to discuss the main challenges and priorities for our country’s relations with the European Union in the context of future deliverables of the Eastern Partnership(EaP), the updated priorities for the new EU-Moldova Association Agenda, but also the recent developments in Chisinau. We are inviting you to read below the main theses of the speakers. MARTING SIEG, KAS Representative in the Republic of Moldova and Romania: ”When we talk about the Eastern Partnership, it is very clear that we can talk about progress with respect to trade, visa liberalisation, bilateral relations. However, there is one thing that keeps popping up in my head and that is that the Eastern Partnership in the beginning was meant, in particular, to promote democracy and rule of law. A fair assessment would be that these have fallen short. Perhaps one of the things to do is to see how we go from here and what should we do together to develop the Eastern Partnership Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

more in this direction. This is, I suppose, the core for deepening the EUMoldova relations”. OLEG ȚULEA, minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova: ”Regarding Moldova’s relations with the EU, there are several aspects that need to be mentioned. First of all, we are celebrating six years since the signature of the Association Agreement – politically, these have been complicated years. Among the main challenges encountered are the bank fraud, but also the cancellation of the election results for Chisinau City Hall. It is clear that our credibility has been seriously compromised. Despite these challenges, over this period of six years we have managed to bring our country closer to the EU, a result of both the Republic of Moldova and the EU. Our foreign trade is oriented towards the EU market, with an export rate of 68-69%. Our citizens travel to the EU without visas, only with a biometric passport. Throughout this period, we have advanced the dialogue with the EU, despite political or economic instability”. INA COȘERU, coordinator of the National Platform CSF, President of the National Environment Centre: ”The National Platform is involved in the monitoring of the implementation of the Association Agreement by the Republic of Moldova. Our last statement focusses to the NGOs Law, part of the EU conditionalities for the disbursement of the second tranche of macro-financial assistance. I would like to assure you that we will be monitoring the implementation of the provisions of this law in the Republic of Moldova. Another important aspect is the development of NGOs at regional level and I would like to thank the European Commission for its support to civil society in the region and emphasize once again the crucial role of civil society for the sustainability of the Eastern Partnership”. 11 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates LUC DEVIGNE, Deputy Director for problem of interest in the context of Europe and Central Asia, European the presidential elections is that the External Action Service(EEAS): “We parties in the Republic of Moldova continue to work on the strategy for will not have access to conduct their the future of the Eastern Partnership election campaign in the Transnistrian and we will focus on the overall region, and the inhabitants of the objective of strengthening the region will have access only to a resilience of the Eastern Partnership. certain type of information. Given the We aim to achieve this goal through organized transportation of voters to five priorities:(1) An economy that the polling stations, these practices are delivers for all, including youth, through far from correct. We, as members of greater interconnectivity;(2) We will the European Parliament, maintain a try to strengthen the transparency united position regarding the agenda of of the institutions and the rule of relations with the Republic of Moldova law;(3) We will support the green and the expectations we have from this transformation, which is a priority of dialogue”. the European Commission:(4) We will support the digitization process to PETRAS AUŠTREVIČIUS, member of address corruption issues as well:(5) the European Parliament, Rapporteur We will help build inclusive societies. on the Republic of Moldova(Renew In addition to these elements, I must Europe): ”We can see significant emphasize that the reform of the justice progress in the relations with the sector, the fight against corruption associated countries to the European and the depoliticization of institutions Union. As for the European Parliament, remain our priorities related to the we have delivered a more optimistic Republic of Moldova”. message than the EU Council and the European Commission. We talked MATHIEU BOUSQUET, Head of Unit, about European aspirations and the DG NEAR, European Commission: ”I European perspective, which must must emphasize that the response to be recognized for these countries. the COVID-19 crisis for the Eastern We need to have a more ambitious Partnership countries came from agenda for the associated countries, Team Europe, which includes the such as the Republic of Moldova, international financial institutions Ukraine and Georgia. That is why I we work with: the European Bank would like to talk about the Eastern for Reconstruction and Development Partnership, referring only to the“more and the European Investment Bank, for more” principle and not to“less but also the EU Member States. We for less”. We need to focus our efforts tried to respond quickly to the current on differentiated integration. It is situation and help the Republic of time to recognize sectorial results and Moldova through bilateral programs, better preparedness of the associated in addition to the 320 million euros countries on certain dimensions of grant component offered for the cooperation with the EU”. Eastern Partnership. The EU continues to help the Republic of Moldova and CRISTINA GHERASIMOV, Research the citizens of the Republic of Moldova. Fellow, DGAP Berlin: ”The key We are currently in the process of priorities for Moldova›s relations negotiating a new EUR 100 million with the EU should be related to agreement in the form of macro- ensuring the fairness of this year›s financial assistance with Moldova”. presidential elections. Secondly, we must ensure that the EU support in MICHAEL GAHLER, member of the overcoming the COVID-19 crisis in European Parliament, vice-chair of the the Republic of Moldova will reach EPP Group, AFET member: ”For me, a the final beneficiaries and will not be Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 6(172), JUNE 2020 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md

12 JUNE 2020  and Foreign Policy Debates used for electoral purposes. In terms of medium-term priorities, we should facilitate the development of SMEs, the youth sector and the reform of the health sector. At the same time, it is essential to support the arts and culture sector, especially within the current crisis”. DRAGOȘ TUDORACHE, member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur on the Republic of Moldova(Renew Europe Group): ”The first component that is important for Chisinau is the Association Agreement, which is not just a matter of the legal framework through which the Republic of Moldova has made a political, strategic choice, but, in fact, is a model of governance, democracy a state has chosen to implement. The second component is good governance, which is the most important pillar, because it is a political one and goes to the essence of that democratic model. The third component is the economic one. The figures show that the Association Agreement offered access to a huge market, which diversified the trade relations of the Moldovan entrepreneurs. So, the Association Agreement is a good framework and we need to continue its implementation”. NICU POPESCU, director of the Wider Europe Programme(ECFR Paris), former Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova: «With this COVID-19 crisis, it has been shown that the EU is the first and main partner which has the desire, interest and ability to systematically help the Republic of Moldova, both medically and economically. I would like to contrast the EU assistance with discussions on the Russian assistance. Today, the Republic of Moldova pays for the Russian gas much more than Germany does; Moldovan goods, which could be exported to the Russian market, remain blocked. And, obviously, this attempt of trafficking through the $200 million loan agreement, which could have been a kind of screen for some schemes through which Moldovan citizens would have been robbed again, was very worrying. This fact indicates once again who is actually ready to continue helping the Republic of Moldova… The crisis of the last two months has also developed a strange behaviour, when the government was trying to promote a balanced foreign policy, but in reality, we found ourselves isolated, and those fairly systematic anti-EU attacks deepened this perception”. The full version of the discussion could be found at https://www.privesc.eu/ arhiva/91143 The opinions expressed in the newsletter are not necessarily those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) or of the Foreign Policy Association(APE). Foreign Policy Association(APE ) is a non-governmental organization committed to supporting the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the European Union and facilitating the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict in the context of the country Europeanization. APE was established in fall 2003 by a group of well-known experts, public personalities and former senior officials and diplomats, all of them reunited by their commitment to contribute with their expertise and experience to formulating and promoting by the Republic of Moldova of a coherent, credible and efficient foreign policy. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) is a German social democratic political foundation, whose purpose is to promote the principles and foundations of democracy, peace, international understanding and cooperation. FES fulfils its mandate in the spirit of social democracy, dedicating itself to the public debate and finding in a transparent manner, social democratic solutions to current and future problems of the society. Friedrich-Ebert-St M if o t n u th n ly g Bu h lle a ti s n, b Nr e . 6 e ( n 172 a ), c JU ti N v E e 20 i 2 n 0 the Republic of Moldova since October 2002. 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: office@ape.md