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 JULY 2018 NR.5(147) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsletter is developed by Sorina Ştefârţă, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Igor Munteanu, director of IDIS„Viitorul”: A strategic partnership is like a flower- it only lives if it is well cared of 2. Editorial by Victoria Bucătaru, executive director of APE: The way from the“success story” to the“risk area” 3. Corneliu Ciurea, university professor, political analyst: The notion of“Strategic Dialogue” is rather a diplomatic formula that doesn’t show the real temperature of our relationship with Washington 4. Expert Opinion: For the foreign relations to take a new shape, Chisinau needs a legitimate, representative and effective government News in Brief Moldova has seen three Resolutions this month. At its annual session in Berlin, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly reaffirmed the need for the complete withdrawal of foreign armed forces from the territory of our country. The Assembly voted three amendments that stipulate the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country’s sovereign territory and the transformation of the peacekeeping mission into a civilian one with an international mandate. Another Resolution, expressing support for the countries of Eastern Europe and NATO, came from the US Congress. The United States supports the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, and reaffirms its support for democratically elected governments and people in the three countries. The document also stipulates the US commitment to supporting the three states in the process of European integration, ensuring energy security and enhancing trade cooperation. The resolution also condemns Russian aggression in the region and calls for the withdrawal of troops and munitions of the Russian Federation stationed illegally on the territory of the three states. The withdrawal of Russian military forces from the territory of the three countries was also requested by the NATO member states reunited in Brussels. In the statement included for the first time in the final declaration of a NATO Summit, the support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova within internationally recognized borders is reiterated. The three resolutions take place in the context of the approval by the UN General Assembly, in June, of a resolution on the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transnistrian region. German Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Julia Monar, is finishing her mandate in our country. The Prime Minister Pavel Filip thanked the diplomat for her contribution to maintaining an active Moldovan­German dialogue. He also noted that, although short, her mandate was marked by several concrete initiatives and actions.“We want the good bilateral cooperation to continue and lead to the realization of as many joint projects as possible,” said Pavel Filip. In turn, HE Julia Monar noted the good cooperation she had with the Government and stressed that today the Moldovan-German relations are full of content. After several year break, the Moldovan diplomacy meeting was held in Chisinau. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Tudor Ulianovschi, reminded the Ambassadors of our country that today the Republic of Moldova needs a dynamic, result-oriented diplomacy to work on improving the image of the country and to present the domestic realities from the perspective of the rule of law, legislation and national interest. He highlighted the main foreign policy focus on European integration, bilateral, regional and international dialogue, security and country reintegration, training of the national diplomatic staff, including the creation of a National Diplomatic Institute, etc. Referring to the issue of European integration, Tudor Ulianovschi said it remains an objective of maximum importance for the short, medium and long term. As far as economic diplomacy is concerned, the ambassadors’ attention has been drawn to the fact that each diplomatic mission should set clear and precise objectives on promoting trade and attracting investment. The echo of internal realities or what do we do with the Strategic Dialogue with the USA? Sorina Ștefârță If we were to note down the key words launched in the local public space over the last few weeks, the list would be extended and not necessarily logical. At least, not at first glance. For... protests-petitions­resolutions-demolitions- new protests-protests against protests-Europeans are bad­Moldovans are good-Europeans are good-Moldovans are bad­financing and non-financing­Trump-Putin-Kolinda-NATO­confusions-collective letters-the sixth African team-and we are taking off the belt... A kind of reality game in a world where“the war of words” seems to have reached its peak, which is actually leading us into a parallel reality. It’s a fight we’ve been drawn into unintentionally and the only chance to get out alive is to be informed. In all this amalgam of words ­which we could call“abstract”, if it wasn’t for the strong political overtones of the Moldovan present it is carrying- there was a message that stood out because it targets the greatest global power. It is about the relationship with the United States and, in particular, the Moldovan-American Strategic Dialogue, which, according to the transmitters, has been good and will be even better. This Dialogue was(re) launched on the occasion of the visit to Washington in June of the Speaker Andrian Candu and Prime Minister Pavel Filip, which was subsequently reflected in the meetings of the Chisinau officials with HE James D. Pettit, the US Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova; in the message of Minister Tudor Ulianovschi addressed to the members of the diplomatic corps; but also in several statements of the Opposition which, in various contexts, reproached the representatives of the government that the dialogue is rather faked than real. Are we witnessing an attempt to transform the US relationship into an exchange currency for domestic political struggles in Moldova? The experts are saying it’s unlikely. Moreover, the impression that the USA is behaving like a footballer on the backup bench is just an impression and one‘of the moment’. Washington is rather waiting to see what the activities on the field are going to end up with- as its echo has certainly reached them – in order to stand up and score with precision. Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 5(147), July 2018 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