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 NOVEMBER 2018 NR.10(152) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsletter is developed by Sorina Ştefârţă, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Iurie Leancă, Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova: “We are trying to re-consolidate the relationship, keep the dance and even harmonize again our steps with the EU” 2. Editorial by Victoria Bucătaru and Natalia Stercul, Foreign Policy Association: “Do we really want to give up on it?!.” 3. Serghei Popovici, Director of the Information Technology and Cyber Security Service: ”Security is very expensive and if you don’t pay in time, you have to pay ten times higher costs” 4. Looking from the outside: „European Union confirms reduction of financial support due to deterioration of rule of law and democracy in the Republic of Moldova” News in Brief “Romania is more than a friend and a partner for the Republic of Moldova. This is a relationship of the people that share a common linguistic and cultural space. Our objective is to increase this space and connect it to a common infrastructure. Thus, the connection between our states will become even deeper” said the Prime Minister Pavel Filip in his message on the occasion of the National Day of Romania marked on December 1st. He thanked the Romanian side for the permanent support provided to our country, including on the European dimension, and stressed that the special relationship between Chisinau and Bucharest is confirmed by dozens of concrete energy, road, education, electronic communications and drinking water supply projects. In his turn, HE Romanian Ambassador Daniel Ionita mentioned that the Republic of Moldova is a privileged strategic partner and will be further supported in its European aspirations, including during the Bucharest European mandate. Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu invited members of the US Senate and House of Representatives to monitor the upcoming Moldovan elections in order to convince themselves of the correctness of the electoral process and of the voting itself. Also, during his meetings in Washington where he has paid a working visit recently, he asked for support to deal with hybrid threats and strengthen the state institutional capacity to respond to the current security risks. In this context, Andrian Candu referred to the media, the banking, the energy system, the Nistru security zone as well as to the political area and the direct and camouflaged external implications as priority areas in the case of a hybrid war. The US Senators have expressed concern over the threats facing the Republic of Moldova and have stated that the USA will continue to support our country in its aspiration to be part of the Western civilization. At the end of November, in Bucharest, Andrian Candu discussed about the security risks also with the accredited Romanian ambassadors for Moldova. The main topics of internal and regional relevance were addressed. In particular, the speaker spoke about the measures taken by authorities to ensure security against hybrid threats. In this context, he announced the intention to set up a Strategic Coordination Center for Combating Hybrid Threats, a project which is being developed together with Ukraine and Georgia. At the same time, Andrian Candu highlighted the need for solidarity in relation to the common security challenges and encouraged the EU to engage bilaterally and at the European level in joint projects to tackle the hybrid threats. Our country’s cooperation within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the promotion of confidence-building measures in the Transnistrian settlement process, the integration of national minorities, the justice reform and the consolidation of the rule of law, the 2019 parliamentary elections were the main topics of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Tudor Ulianovschi, with the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly George Tsereteli. During a meeting held on the margins of the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, Minister Tudor Ulianovschi appreciated the OSCE support in withdrawal of the Russian troops and munitions from the territory of our country, relying in particular on the political declaration adopted at the last meeting of this parliamentary forum. The sixth edition of the European Integration Debate Forum: where we were and where we are(not)? Sorina Ștefârță “Towards a European Future for Moldova”- that was the title of the Sixth edition of the European Integration Debate Forum held on November 20 th in Chisinau. Decision makers from the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, politicians and local and foreign opinion leaders, representatives of political parties and international bodies, members of civil society and journalists - the participation was vast and diverse, this annual event succeeding in establishing itself as a comprehensive discussion platform on the progress made by the Republic of Moldova in the process of European integration. Because it is also curious, but especially useful to see where you are- if you made progress- after one year... Among the topics discussed at the Forum were the traditional, but always the topical and even unpredictable- as showed particularly Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 11(153), December 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