The Newsletter is based on the radio programme broadcast on May 8 th , 2017, produced by the Foreign Policy Association of Moldova in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES). The programme is broadcast on the Moldova Public Radio. The programme is part of the FES/APE“Foreign Policy Dialogues” Project. The content can be reproduced by mentioning the source. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN MAY 2017 NR.4(134) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The materials are realized by Lina Grau, foreign policy expert and programme coordinator with APE. TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. How is the Republic of Moldova handling the issue of the Gagauz autonomy? Mindaugas Kacerauskis : Gagauzia can serve as a positive example for Transnistria in the regulatory process. 2. Elena Bacalu: Many of the problems have not been solved because of lack of communication 3. Vadim Ceban: We need Romanian and Gagauz language study programmes 4. Veaceslav Berbeca: Even if there is tension between Comrat and Chisinau, we cannot talk about separatism The last period was marked by a series of important events for the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova will receive observer status with the Eurasian Economic Union in October, at the next summit of the organization, said President Igor Dodon in an interview for the Russian newspaper Izvestia . Dodon said the Eurasian Economic Union needs time to examine his request, because there is no precedent yet of countries with Eurasian Economic Union observer status. The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have completed the technical preparations for the opening of joint control checkpoints on the Transnistrian segment of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border at the Pervomaisk­Cuciurgan checkpoint. The Moldovan authorities have assured that expanding of the joint border control with Ukraine on the Transnistrian segment will not harm the interests of ordinary citizens. The explanation comes after the Tiraspol separatist authorities, supported by Moscow, complained that the initiative of introducing the Moldo-Ukrainian border control would mean a blockade of the Transnistrian region. On May 5 th, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldovan adopted in the first reading the transition to the mixed electoral system- a compromise negotiated by the Democratic Party with the socialist opposition. At a press conference, the speaker of parliament Andrian Candu said it was a“necessary compromise for the good of the country,” even if the Democratic Party was in favour of the uninominal system. Candu also said that the final vote will not take place until the endorsement in June of the draft law by the Venice Commission. In his turn, Igor Dodon qualified the Friday’s vote in Parliament as a victory of the Socialist faction in the fight against the uninominal vote. Several representatives of the civil society and parties gathered in front of Parliament to protest against changing of the electoral system, saying the latter is antidemocratic and is going to eliminate smaller parties from the Moldovan political scene and divide power among the democrats and socialists. Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova on the 5 th and 6 th of May. The visit programme included meetings with the leadership of the Republic of Moldova, participation in the inauguration of the Embassy of Turkey in Chisinau and the Businessmen Forum, and a visit to the Mother and Child Institute. The Turkish Prime Minister also participated in the Gagauz Congress, which took place in Comrat.“Even if we do not have common borders, we are connected by the Black Sea and the Gagauz ethnicity, therefore we should support each other in good and bad times,” the Turkish premier said. According to official data, in 2016, the volume of the foreign trade of the Republic of Moldova with Turkey amounted to over 334 million dollars. More than 1200 Turkish capital- enterprises are active in the Republic of Moldova, with investments in their social capital amounting to about 378 million lei. Only two Moldovan political parties would enter the Parliament if Parliamentary elections were held: the Socialists’ Party with 33.6% and the“Action and Solidarity” Party, with 24.8%. These are the results of the recent Barometer of Public Opinion(BOP) presented by the Public Policy Institute. No party in government at the moment would make it to the future parliament, shows BOP, conducted between April 16 th -23 rd . The country’s president, former Socialist leader Igor Dodon and PAS leader, Maia Sandu, are the most trustworthy politicians, with 32% and 17%, respectively. How is the Republic of Moldova handling the issue of the Gagauz autonomy? Lina Grâu 23 years after the adoption of the Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia (Gagauz-Yeri) in 1994, there is still tension between Chisinau and Comrat. The central authorities are accused by regional politicians of failing to comply with the legal norms on the Gagauz autonomy. There are several competencies of the region provided by the legislation that Comrat considers assumed in an unjustified way by Chisinau- police, education, customs. Over the years, the Gagauz politicians have called for expansion of the autonomous budget categories and creation of the Regional Development Agency in Gagauzia. After Chisinau declared the European integration a strategic objective of the Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 4(134), May 2017 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