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 2025 NR. 3(229) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates NTheewnsleewttselre-tutelresistedreevaelliozpaetddebyMMădăădlăinlinNNeceșcușțuuțu, r,eeddaitcotor-rc-ocooordrdinoantaotror TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European: It is essential to have genuinely pro-European forces in government, which come to power exclusively through the honest vote of the people 2. Madalin Necsutu, journalist with the TVR Moldova and Balkan Insight: From triumph to trouble: Moldova’s European journey, between achievements and imminent risks 3. Liliana Palihovici, president Institutum Virtutes Civilis: For the state to be able to provide social assistance, it must have economic growth 4. Alexandru Bujorean, co-founder of the“Together” political block: It would be fair if EU money went to developing public infrastructure and empowering local public administrations News in Brief As of March 28, the Russian Federa­tion has restricted access for Moldovan freight carriers. The Russian government has included Moldova in the list of countries that have introduced restrictive measures against Russian citizens and Russian legal entities in the field of international road transportation of goods. This means that Moldovan freight carriers are now banned not only from bringing cargo into Russia, but also from transiting Russian territory. Chisinau government spokesperson Daniel Voda said that “this decision is unilateral, hits Moldovan carriers and shows a clear negative attitude on the part of Russia to harm the Moldovan economy”. According to Vodă, Russia’s decision affects 115 carriers, which hold licenses, and also affects exporters who contract the carriers. The government spokesper ­son said that„this means that our Moldovan com ­panies are banned from delivering goods to Russia and our carriers are stuck at the customs office”. The Council for Promoting Investment Projects of National Importance has suspended for 60 days the licenses of the”Cotidian”, the company that owns TVC21. The decision is reflected in the minutes of the Council’s meeting of March 24, published on March 27. The ruling is related to the fact that not all the requested information on the ownership structure of the TV station was submitted. Government spokesper ­son Daniel Voda said that if TVC21 submits the requested information within 60 days, it will resume its activities.„Having examined the docu ­ments and additional information submitted by the ”Cotidian” SA, it was found that the information was not presented in a complete manner, including not supported by conclusive information. Several opposition politicians described the decision as one aimed at censoring this TV station. Gagauzia’s Bashkan, Evghenia Gutul, an affiliate of fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, will be remanded in custody for 20 days. The decision was taken on March 28 by the Chisinau Court, Ciocana district. The court examined the prosecutors’ request for 30 days’ pre-trial deten ­tion and partially accepted it. Thus, the remand in custody for 20 days was ordered. The ruling can be appealed. After the court session, the case prosecutor Adrian Scutaru told the press that in the case in which Evghenia Gutul was arrested, the charges in the case against her are accessory to the commission of illegal campaign financing for the 2023 elections for the office of the Bashkan, falsifi ­cation of official documents and campaign reports. He said several people are being investigated in the case, but declined to give further details. Republic of Moldova three years on from EU accession a p p l i c a t i o n: between reforms and delays The Republic of Moldova has made a spectacular leap forward in the last three years in terms of its European path and its rapprochement with the European Union. The war in Ukraine has prompted the EU to become more flexible in welcoming new members into its ranks. Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have em ­barked on this European journey together and are taking advantage of this unprecedented window of opportunity in the period since the last wave of ac ­cession(with the excep ­tion of Croatia in 2013) in 2007 when Romania and Bulgaria became member states of the European community. Let’s not be deluded. The Republic of Mol ­dova is far from being an ideal candidate for EU membership and perhaps even further behind than some Western Balkan coun ­tries. However, the EU still credits Moldova for the political will of the current government to make the neces ­sary reforms. This is a reason for both joy and concern. More specifi ­cally, the reforms need to be speeded up and, above all, they Monthly newsletter, No.3(229), March 2025 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: moldova.fes.de. E-mail: fes.moldova@fes.de