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 JUNE 2022 NR.6(196) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates NTheewnselewttselre-tutel resistedreevaelliozpaet ddebyMMădăădlăinlinNNeceșcușțuuț,ur,eeddaitcotor-rc-ocooordrdinoantaotror TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Valeriu Mija, State Secretary of Defense: “Our approach is to modernize the army and not to increase the personnel or technical ceiling” 2. Editorial by Mihai Mogildea, Deputy Executive Director, IPRE: “Key highlights of a new Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova: what can we do differently and better?” 3. Retired General Virgil Balaceanu: “The Moldovan army has mobility, but what needs to be developed is the enemy contact fire capability” 4. Expert Opinion: Mihai Isac, pollical and security expert: “The National Army at the moment of truth. What is to be done?” News in Brief The Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Andrei Spinu, has declared in a recent press conference that the situation of natural gas supply remains the most vulnerable, but assured that the Republic of Moldova will not run out of energy resources. He admitted that the reserves are enough for one month in summer and one week in winter. Likewise, the money provided by the EBRD is enough for the gas supply for one winter month. Andrei Spinu also communicated that the Government will launch negotiations with the Romanian Ministry of Energy regarding the procurement of natural gas from Romania the following week. The Deputy Prime Minister gave assurances regarding provision of compensations for vulnerable segments of the population during the cold period of the year. Also, Spinu announced plans to reduce gas consumption by 15%, one week after the European Union took a similar decision, against the background of the decrease in Russian supplies. The plan promised by the European Commission and approved almost unchanged by the member states focuses on replacing gas with other fuels and saving energy in all sectors. The Moldovan government has developed an action plan that describes the concrete measures and the terms they will be carried out in order to fulfil the new requirements of the European Commission launched when the Republic of Moldova received the status of a candidate country for EU accession. The plan aims at fulfilling all the conditions to start the accession negotiations of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union within one year. The areas covered by these conditions are: justice, combating corruption and organized crime, deoligarhization, public administration and public services reform, public finance management, strengthening the role of civil society in decision-making processes and protecting human rights. Afterwards, the actual negotiations for joining the European Union will be conducted on chapters that will de facto represent various key areas, especially the economic sector. The Ambassador of Romania to Chisinau, Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, stated in an interview for the Radio Chisinau that Romania will not abandon the Republic of Moldova in the event of a deepening of the security crisis generated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.“We have now witnessed an escalation and expansion of this particularly aggressive, completely unjustified and illegal conflict. These scenarios were discussed and analyzed together with our partners from Chisinau. There are various measures that can be taken depending on the need, but I think that the best answer was already offered by the President of Romania on Friday[July 29] in Bucharest, after the meeting with Mrs. Maia Sandu on this subject and showed that Romania will remain close to the Republic of Moldova and will not abandon it”, mentioned Cristian-Leon Țurcanu. He stated that“decisions will be made depending on the developments", because the war in Ukraine generated security risks not only for Romania, but for all the neighbouring states. Moldova, face to face with the army reform in wartime Moldovan soldiers marching Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the paradigm of the national defense approach for several neighbouring states of Ukraine, including the Republic of Moldova. A prey to political indifference and a lack of vision, the national army of the Republic of Moldova has gradually and surely degraded in the 30 years of its existence. It all started in 1994, during the time of the Agrarians, with the introduction of an article in the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova that confirmed the country’s neutrality. With this excuse, none of the politicians who ran the country cared about the military sector. However, neutrality did not have to mean the lack of training and maintenance of the army. Examples in this sense are Switzerland, but also the newly invited members, Finland and Sweden, the latter having a recognized neutrality of about 200 years. Yet, the narrative promoted has always been that the Republic of Moldova does not Monthly newsletter, No.7(197), July 2022 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: fes-moldova.org. E-mail:fes@fes-moldova.org