Foreign Policy Association together with Friedrich­Ebert-Stiftung Moldova 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 SEPTEMBER 2018 NR.7(149) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsletter is developed by Sorina Ştefârţă, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Eugen Sturza, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Moldova: The National Army reform means, above all, the qualitative change of people, not just equipment and technology 2. Valeriu Mija, Doctor of Political Sciences, Security Expert at Pro Marshall Center: Any large-scale regional phenomenon has implications for several states ­and the Republic of Moldova is no exception 3. Expert opinion. Rosian Vasiloi: „When it comes to policy documents, things look fine” News in Brief The Republic of Moldova remains a strategic priority for Bucharest and its European course will be further supported by Romania. This message recently announced at the Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy was passed to Prime Minister Pavel Filip by HE Daniel Ioniţă. Pavel Filip thanked Romania for its support, noting its importance in the realization of the European agenda of the Republic of Moldova, but also in the development of the bilateral projects of major interest. Among these are the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline, the interconnection of electricity networks, the development of infrastructure and the removal of roaming tariffs between the two countries. The Romanian Ambassador said in this context that Romania’s grant for renovation of kindergartens in the Republic of Moldova has been recently supplemented by three million euros. Pavel Filip also said that the Republic of Moldova relies on Romania’s support in the context of taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2019. Intensification of the Moldovan-German political dialogue, the social-political developments in the Republic of Moldova, the consolidation of commercial-economic relations and the attraction of German investments in the national economy – these are just a few issues on the agenda of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ulianovschi on his visit to Berlin. During the numerous meetings, the Moldovan official assured the German side that the transformation of the country according to the European development model and ensuring a European future for its citizens remain important goals for the Moldovan Government. The German partners appreciated the intense relations with the Republic of Moldova in political, economic and culture areas, but were concerned about the current political situation in the country. The State Secretary for European Affairs, Michael Roth, said that it is extremely problematic to cancel the results of local elections: “Voters’will should be respected, the rule of law and free elections being supreme values. Only when these things are guaranteed can we and the EU build constructively a close collaboration, supporting the necessary reforms.” In this context, Minister Roth stressed that Germany expects from the future parliamentary elections in early 2019 to be free and fair, with the participation of international observers. As for the Law on Tax Amnesty, he called on the Moldovan government to finally take the concerns of international partners and civil society seriously and fully commit to the fight against corruption and building of the rule of law. The new Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Chisinau, Angela Ganninger, presented her accreditation letters in our country. During the meeting with the Moldovan State Secretary for European Integration Daniela Morari, there were discussed the current topics on the agenda of the bilateral relations, especially the mutual interest in the intensification of the political dialogue and commercial-economic relations, in the extension of the bilateral legal framework and the efforts made by the Chisinau authorities on the way toward European integration. Also Ambassador Lilian Darii presented the letters of accreditation to the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. During the meeting, the officials exchanged views on the current state of cooperation between our country and the North Atlantic Alliance, focusing on the objectives of the Individual Partnership Action Plan(IPAP). The officials addressed also issues related to the implementation of the provisions of the Defense Capabilities Consolidation Initiative. Lilian Darii thanked the Alliance for the constant support offered to our country in the process of reforming the national security and defense sectors. Regarding the aspects of national and regional security, the Ambassador reiterated the need to withdraw the Russian military from the territory of the Republic of Moldova and to transform the current peacekeeping operation in the Transnistrian region into a civilian mission with international mandate. National Army, invisible shield or illusion of the shield? Sorina Ștefârță The August national holidays have had a bitter taste this year. It is not for the first time, and yet... like never before, these days that are meant to be “unifying” have been marked by protests and counter-protests as small diversions to the limit and actions that many of us have seen only in movies or on the news, when dozens of people have been lifted by masked policemen in order to make room for officials with regular flower bouquets... The officials could have not laid flowers at all, rather than make it against the background of thousands of people’s booing. They could have laid the flowers next to the people that were protesting, or at the Gate of the Armenian Cemetery- the resting place of many who had voted for Independence. Or they could have laid flowers at“Ghimpu’s monument,” or...at any other monument in this city. But they chose confrontation and the confrontation seems to be the leitmotif of this autumn. Because of Elections. Because of Power. Thus Fight. The last few weeks have been evidence to this, when we have almost daily witnessed firecrackers- from the brutal deportation of teachers from the“Orizont” High School, which once again confirmed that something is rotten in our Denmark, to the road accident with the involvement of the President of the country, a true litmus paper of a society divided to the fullest, a condition that also the one who suffered had also contributed to. Against this tense background, on September 3rd, the National Army celebrated its anniversary. They did it modestly, as it is probably natural for such a structure to do. They did it opening its doors to the employees and their families so that they see that the National Army is made of people for the people. And yet, do we know what it is really happening there? Are we confident, when we see Russian tanks“playing” the escalation of the Nistru or in the event of a real crisis, that these people in khaki clothes whom we periodically meet on the street, will be able to stand up and defend us? And will they have what to defend us with? What are their real capabilities? For in a poor country there cannot be a rich army. We would like to find out about this in our current edition of the Newsletter. Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 7(149), September 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