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 MARCH 2023 NR.3(205) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates NTheewnselewttselre-tutel resistedreevaelliozpaet ddebyMMădăădlăinlinNNeceșcușțuuț,ur,eeddaitcotor-rc-ocooordrdinoantaotror THEMES OF THE EDITION: 1. Oazu Nantoi, PAS MP: The‘5+2’ pentalateral format of the Transnistrian settlement is outdated, during its existence we only saw unilateral concessions of the right bank 2. Editorial by Lina Grau, journalist: The generation of missed opportunities or the one that will bring the Republic of Moldova to the EU? 3. Cristina Ciubotaru, anti-corruption expert: The pre-vetting selected candidates strongly suspected of political connections, which generates a lack of trust 4. Expert Opinion: The‘5+2’ format: unjustified expectations of the Transnistrian settlement 5. PISA Security& Defence Digest: Security priorities of the Moldovan Government and developments of the security environment(short-term forecasts) News in Brief On March 17, President Maia Sandu delivered an unexpected speech in the plenary session of the Parliament, in which she requested the Legislature and the Government to create the Anti-Corruption Court - a specialized court to investigate cases of high­scale corruption and corruption in the justice system. In her speech, Maia Sandu denounced the combined efforts of the Kremlin and the Shor Party to destabilize the Republic of Moldova. “The Shor Group has a clear mission from the Kremlin and the FSB- to bring war to Moldova. Their goal is to organize destabilization and bring down the democratically elected government through violence,” Maia Sandu said. At the same time, the leader from Chisinau spoke about the unprecedented support that Moldova currently enjoys on the external level, ending her speech with the conviction that Moldova will become a member of the European Union by 2030. The head of diplomacy from Chisinau, Nicu Popescu, said on March 17 in an interview for Radio Free Europe that Moldova has begun to gradually align with the sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Russian Federation for aggression against Ukraine and will sanction“in a few weeks” more Russian citizens.“It is predominantly about travel bans, the freezing of bank accounts or the assets of these individuals who are involved to a certain degree or another in the aggression against Ukraine,” the official said. According to the minister, the decision has been made, but it will take some time until “all legal steps” are completed. He did not give the names of the individuals who will be banned from entering the Republic of Moldova, but said the list will include“about 25 people” and that“about half” are Russian citizens. The National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, John Kirby, said on March 10 that the United States has warned that individuals with ties to Russian services are organizing and intending to use anti­government protests in the Republic of Moldova as a basis for a“manufactured insurgency” probably having the ultimate goal of installing in Chisinau a government more friendly to Moscow. His statement was issued two days before a new protest organized on March 12 in Chisinau by the Shor Party and the“Movement for the People” founded also by Ilan Shor. Kirby’s statement released by the US embassy in Chisinau also said that the US expects “another set of Russian actors to provide training” for artificial protests in Chisinau. The Republic of Moldova, caught in a security paradox: between Russia’s aggression and the West’s protection Prime Minister Dorin Recean, together with President Maia Sandu, during his investiture as head of the Government The new Government in Chisinau, led by Dorin Recean, a leader with a profile focused on security issues and with experience in Romania and the USA, has confirmed Moldova is preparing for a new perspective in addressing the security issues of Moldova. Moreover, three of its priorities refer to ensuring security and public order, including through the component related to the Transnistrian separatist region. Dorin Recean is gifted with both security skills as a former Minister of the Interior, as well as economic skills, which indicates his election to this position as a guarantee of the most effective management of these unprecedented challenges for the Republic of Moldova. The main interest is to prevent a puppet-regime loyal to the Kremlin from being installed in Chisinau and at the same time, a security breach from occuring behind the Ukrainian front. For this reason, the West will Monthly newsletter, No.03(205), March 2023 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: fes-moldova.org. E-mail:fes@fes-moldova.org