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 OCTOBER 2022 NR.10(200) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates NTheewnselewttselre-tutel resistedreevaelliozpaet ddebyMMădăădlăinlinNNeceșcușțuuț,ur,eeddaitcotor-rc-ocooordrdinoantaotror TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Leonid Litra, expert with New Europe Center in Kyiv, Ukraine: “Without obstacles and in absence of political crisis, this EU accession process could take about 7-8 years” 2. Editorial, Simion Ciochina, journalist: “The European Political Community- a door to the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU?” 3. Dan Barna, Vice President of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies: “The real stake for Moldova is to settle on a European direction from which we can say that it is a path of no return” 4. Expert Opnion, Nicoletta Pirozzi, Istituto Affari Internazionali(IAI): “Realising Europe’s geopolitical vocation” News in Brief On October 31 st , the Commission for Emergency Situations adopted several decisions implementing international sanctions in the Republic of Moldova. It is about the sanctions imposed by the United States against several persons and entities involved in corruption actions, including the oligarchs Vlad Plahotniuc and Ilan Șor. Along with Ilan Șor and Vlad Plahotniuc, the list of sanctions imposed by the USA includes several citizens of the Russian Federation who acted to influence the elections in the Republic of Moldova and keep the country in the Russian sphere of influence. Among the Russian citizens subject to sanctions are Igor Ceaika, Iurii Gudilin, Olga Grak, Leonid Gonin, the latter acting as advisers to the former president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon. On October 26 th , the US authorities announced that Vladimir Plahotniuc and Ilan Şor, as well as the party led by the latter, together with a group of people from the Russian Federation, were included on the Magnitsky List. The Chisinau authorities ordered that engineers of the National Army, together with representatives of other force structures, conduct investigations in the village of Naslavcea, Ocnița district, where on the morning of October 31 st , a Russian missile fell, shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system. The Russian missile would have targeted the strategic infrastructure in Ukraine, specifically the Novodnestrovsk dam, reports Radio Free Europe. For security reasons, the Ocnița-Sokirani road border crossing point was partially closed. The Ukrainian authorities do not allow entry into Ukraine, due to the risks of air attacks, so crossing the border is allowed in one direction: exit from Ukraine and entry into the Republic of Moldova. The missile was shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system, according to the Moldovan Ministry of Interior. President Maia Sandu declared in a speech held in the Romanian Parliament that the Republic of Moldova is going through an “unprecedented energy crisis” due to the war waged by Russia in Ukraine.“We are risking running out of gas and energy this winter. The gas tariff has increased six times and is double compared to Romania”, said Maia Sandu in front of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and Romanian parliamentarians. She also stated that the gas tariff in the Republic of Moldova has increased six times and is double compared to Romania.“The situation regarding electricity is just as serious. After Russia bombed Ukrainian networks, Gazprom halved the volume of gas for Moldova, and the supply of electricity from the left bank of the Dniester for the next month became uncertain. Providing the country with electricity is a daily challenge,” Maia Sandu also said. Republic of Moldova and the benefits of the European Political Community The European leaders from 44 states met in Prague on October 6-7 at the first reunion of the"European Political Community"(EPC) The designation of the Republic of Moldova as the host country for the second meeting of the European Political Community, a French initiative supported by the European Commission to get the European states more united, is a signal that cannot be overlooked. This defines the EU’s desire to get closer to the European countries that now have the EU candidate country status for EU accession ­Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The European Political Community came into existence de facto on October 6 th , in Prague, when the first meeting in this format took place in the premises of the Prague Castle. The 27 heads of state and government of the EU were joined by another 17 counterparts from states in the EU neighbourhood with which Brussels has strong relations. The new format of the European Political Community encouraged political dialogue and cooperation in order to strengthen the security, stability, and prosperity of the European continent. Also, participants from the 44 countries discussed common security and energy issues arising from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, in a summit to which Russia did not have access. The Prague meeting was the inaugural summit of the European Political Community. This format was launched by the Monthly newsletter, No.10(200), October 2022 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: fes-moldova.org. E-mail:fes@fes-moldova.org