Moldovan premier invites Romanian counterpart to pipeline start
Friday, July 12, 2013
.svg)
Image: Estonian Foeign Ministry.
During an official visit to Romania on Tuesday, Moldovan premier Iurie Leancă invited his Romanian counterpart, Victor Ponta, to attend Moldovan Independence Day on August 27. On that occasion, the two neighbouring countries are to start building a cross-border gas pipeline between cities Iași, Romania, and Ungheni, Moldova.
European Union (EU) commissioner for energy Günther Oettinger is also expected to attend the meeting. The Moldovan premier seeks support for EU visa facilitation for Moldovan citizens as well as economic and energy ties with the EU. Russian energy minister Aleksandr Novak declared in September 2012 that the Russian Federation agrees to lower gas prices for Moldova only if the ex-soviet republic denounces the Energy Community of South East Europe between the EU and eight non-EU countries including Moldova.
Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. The latest Transparency International report on global corruption says Moldovan citizens report the second most widespread bribery of a European country. Moldovan politicians often accuse each other of being either under the influence of Russia — the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova; or under the influence of Romania and the EU — the Alliance for European Integration, the current government coalition. Russia maintains a motorized infantry battalion and some ammunition depots from the soviet era in Moldova's breakaway Transdnestr region; Russian vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin said earlier this year Russia would continue these until the status of the region is settled. This situation has persisted for some time; in the OSCE Summit Declaration of Istanbul of 1999, Russia was to pull its troops out of Transnistria by the end of 2002.
Moldova also hopes to sign the European Union Association Agreement by the end of 2013.
Sources
- European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. "Cross-Border Cooperation Strategy Paper" — European Commission, July 11, 2013 (date of access)
- "Iurie Leancă l-a invitat pe Victor Ponta la Chişinău pe 27 august, să inaugureze lucrările de construcţie a gazoductului Iaşi-Ungheni" — Adevărul Moldova, July 10, 2013 (Romanian)
- "Corruption getting worse, says poll" — BBC News Online, July 9, 2013
- Ovidiu Bărbulescu. "Prim-ministrul Republicii Moldova l-a invitat pe Ponta la Chişinău pentru începerea gazoductului Iaşi-Ungheni" — Mediafax, July 9, 2013 (Romanian)
- Virginia Dumitraș. "„Doamna Ashton face avansuri Republicii Moldova“. Ce spun analiştii despre vizita şefei diplomaţiei europene" — Adevărul Moldova, July 9, 2013 (Romanian)
- Mihai Drăghici. "Russia to Ensure Peace in Transdnestr Until Conflict Settlement" — RIA Novosti, May 18, 2013
- Mihai Drăghici. "Rusia condiţionează reducerea preţului la gazele pentru R.Moldova de renunţarea la cooperarea cu UE" — Gândul, September 12, 2012 (Romanian)
- "ISTANBUL DOCUMENT 1999" — Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 1999; January 2000 correction
External links
- "Global Corruption Barometer 2013: Report" — Transparency International, 2013
- "EU - Moldova Association Agreement" — European External Action Service, July 11, 2013 (date of access)
