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 JANUARY 2025 NR. 1(227) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates NTheewnselewttselre-tutel resistedreevaelliozpaet ddebyMMădăădlăinlinNNeceșcușțuuț,ur,eeddaitcotor-rc-ocooordrdinoantaotror TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Ina Coseru, PAS MP: It will be regrettable if we do not understand how narrow and short this window of opportunity towards the EU is 2. Editorial by Madalin Necsutu: Moldova at the crossroads: all-out hybrid war in 2025 for parliamentary elections 3. Igor Munteanu, chairperson CUB: Internal consolidation means overhauling misconceptions about the exclusivity of a single governing party 4. Analysis by Natalia Stercul, executive director APE: 2025 Trends and Moldova’s foreign policy News in Brief The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Roxana Mînzatu, said in an interview with Radio Chisinau that the European institutions will provide the Republic of Moldova with all possible support.“It is important to help the Republic of Moldova to have all the benefits that it can have as a candidate state – experts at the European level to come and help in adapting the legislation, joining some funding programmes. I manage the European Social Fund Plus, a fund that supports anti-poverty measures, the education and skills area, the social innovation area to which the Republic of Moldova is associated in order to be able to benefit from such resources”, said the EU official. Roxana Mînzatu also spoke about the economic growth programme to be approved by the European Parliament, the legislation that will allow the Republic of Moldova to access significant funding from the European Commission and a pre-financing early next year of 115 million euro. Moldovagaz is negotiating with Hungarian companies MOL and MVM on possible gas purchases for Transnistria. The information appeared on January 27 in the Russian publication Kommersant, which cited sources. Moldovagaz has not yet commented on the information. According to the Russian publication’s sources, deliveries could start in February if agreements to this effect are concluded soon. For the time being, deliveries are expected by the end of March- early April. The delivery route and cost are still unclear. Transnistria needs about 3 million cubic meters of gas per day. Hungarian companies do not have free volumes of gas, they will have to look for it on the market at a high price, Russian expert Vitalii Ermakov was quoted by Kommersant as saying. The unrecognized administration in Tiraspol said that on 27 January the Commission for Exceptional Situations would examine the possibility of granting 3 million cubic meters of gas to the Transnistrian region. The former mayor of Comrat, Nicolae Dudoglo, has announced the formation of a new political organization- the Gagauz People’s Party. The party will be led by Dudoglo, a deputy in the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, according to the Nokta.md portal. At the party’s founding congress, Dudoglo said that“the party is created, first of all, for Gagauzia to achieve freedom”. He also noted that autonomy must get rid of the influence of“republican” parties. Dudoglo is the founder of several public organizations in Comrat, including the People’s Patriotic Union“Devlet” and the organization“Yeni Gagauzia”- this organization joined the Democratic Party in 2013. From 2014 to April 2018, Dudoglo was a member of the Moldovan Parliament on the PDM’s ticket. He also served as mayor of Comrat three times and ran four times for the post of Bashkan of Gagauzia, but never won. In the 2023 elections, he won about 9% of the vote. The year 2025, under the sign of unpredictability for Moldova Deputies in the plenary session of the Parliament. Photo source: Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. Moldova will face many challenges in 2025. Everything is unpredictable, because the energy crisis artificially created by Russia through the Transnistrian separatist region shows no signs of being resolved any time soon. The authorities want to avoid a socio-economic crisis earlier this year that could escalate into political and security problems. Russia has prepared this scenario which could create destabilization for the Republic of Moldova and partial problems for Ukraine. It depends on the ability of the leadership in Chisinau, but above all on the foreign partners as to how we will understand and especially how they will help the Republic of Moldova Monthly newsletter, No.1(227), January 2025 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: moldova.fes.de. E-mail: fes.moldova@fes.de