Foreign Policy Associa on together with Friedrich­Ebert-S ung o ff er you a newsle er on foreign policy and European integra on issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsle er is part of the “Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN DECEMBER 2019 NR.12 166 Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsle er is developed by Sorina Ș tefâr ță, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Angela Gr ă mad ă, director of Experts for Security and Global A ff airs Associa on(ESGA), Bucharest:„We should look at the Republic of Moldova in a much wider regional context” 2. Editorial by Andrei Popov:„Three Governments- three foreign policies or a di ff erent review of the year?” 3. Dirk Wiese, member of the Bundestag, coordinator of the German Federal Government for inter-societal coopera on with Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Partnership states:„Reforms are done for the ci zens, so it is logical to listen to what these people have to say” 4. Expert opinion. Dionis Cenu șă:“Trauma zed European perspec ve in the EU neighbourhood and the Moldovan echoes” News in brief In December this year, the EU Council formally endorsed the agreement concluded on 11 July 2019 with the Moldovan Government, which broadens the degree of trade liberalization for specific agricultural products under the DCFTA. The Republic of Moldova will be granted additional duty-free tariff rate quotas to export table grapes(of double the current amount) and plums(of a 50% increase on the current volume), as well as a new duty-free quota for cherries(of 1.500 tonnes). As part of the agreement, EU producers will also have more export opportunities, as the EU will gain additional duty-free access to the Moldovan market. Moreover, the thresholds triggering the anti-circumvention mechanism for wheat, barley, maize, sugar and processed cereals have also been raised, taking into account the trade patterns over the last few years. The agreement is part of the EU’s commitment to citizens and businesses and the opportunities and benefits offered by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).These revisions are in the context of the third year review of the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Agreement. The EU completed this review in response to the sustained efforts made by Sandu’s government to implement reforms under the DCFTA. The EU encourages the Republic of Moldova to continue the implementation of these needed reforms in the spirit of the Association Agreement. Before it can enter into force, the agreement will have to be approved by the EU-Republic of Moldova Association Committee in Trade Configuration(ACTC). Aspects of bilateral political and economic cooperation, the intensification of the efficient interaction of the police at cross-border level, as well as the regional and global developments were addressed during the working visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Aureliu Ciocoi, in Berlin on December 16-17. The head of the Moldovan diplomacy had meetings with representatives of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Chancellery, the Office of the Federal President, and members of the Bundestag from various parties. The main topics discussed with the German interlocutors referred to the political situation in the Republic of Moldova, the problems and challenges of regional security, the Moldovan-German political and social-economic relations, the implementation of the Association Agreement, the Moldova-EU cooperation, the possibility of increasing the bilateral trade. The Minister thanked the German side for the political and economic support offered to our country and mentioned the need for its extension. The priorities of the Government Action Plan for 2020-2023 was the key topic of the meeting that the Prime Minister Ion Chicu had with the accredited ambassadors in Chisinau on December 17. The chief executive mentioned as priorities the justice reform, the public investments in infrastructure, the modernization of the economy, and improved welfare of the people.“The government will act in a transparent manner. The implementation of the Association Agreement is a priority and we will keep an open dialogue with all the partners”, said Ion Chicu. He thanked the representatives of the diplomatic corps for the constant support offered to the Republic of Moldova and stressed that, in fact, the assistance is provided to the citizens of the country, not to the Governments. The priorities in the field of European integration, implicitly the determination of the current Executive to continue and boost the European course of the Republic of Moldova were also addressed at the meeting of the Governmental Commission for European Integration, convened by Prime Minister Ion Chicu later this year. Moldova 2019: a tragicomedy with an uncertain... ending Photo: Moldova.org Turkeys in the presiden al building yard, a symbol photo of the year Sorina Ș tefâr ță This last text of 2019 happened to be wri en a er a show. I had been to the “Love with the fool”- a tasty comedy, played for several years with the full room at the Na onal Theater“Eugene Ionesco”. And as a good show always inspires, I realized that I am dividing the year that is coming to an end into acts. How many were they? Who were the prompters and who were the real actors? And what happens when the curtain falls? We started in January­February with a poli cal­electoral reality that resulted in a Parliament as fragmented as the whole country, with depu es that descended from the Kroll Report directly into the plenary session room and with a deep sense of fatality. There was a ping-pong of statements­accusa ons-nego a ons etc. Then we found ourselves at the beginning of June which was marked by“pro” and “against” protests; with one week in which we Monthly Bulle n, Nr. 12(166), December 2019 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax:+373 22 21 09 86 Website: www.ape.md E-mail: o ffi ce@ape.md