The new regime of entering and leaving the Republic of Moldova is designed to ensure conditions adjusted to the current context and is a good solution that should be permanently updated depending on the developments in the region. This regime refers especially to the Ukrainian citizens who now cross the state border of the Republic of Moldova to find refuge here and implies better entry conditions for the citizens who have problems with IDs. For example, if the minors coming from Ukraine do not have passports, they can use birth certificates or identity cards to cross the border, Mihai Mogîldea, team leader of the Europeanization Program of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), said in a public debate staged by IPN.
According to Mihai Mogîldea, the new regulations concerning Moldova’s airspace were introduced for security reasons as the people are exposed to serious risks when flying in the current conditions.
The discussions held yesterday at the Presidential Place with the Party of Socialists and the Party of Action and Solidarity show that attempts are being made to overcome the current crisis and this initiative of President Maia Sandu is welcome. “I think it is possible to combine forces so as to achieve the best results. The unanimous vote given in Parliament yesterday in favor of the declaring of a state of emergency is a positive signal to this effect. I think that a dialogue with the local authorities should follow as these also have probably questions in this situation and need particular crisis management scenarios. I don’t know if they have formalized plans to this effect, if there is an approach at the local level and what the local authorities should do if the situation in the Republic of Moldova becomes tenser and we also have a war, God help us. These things should be explained,” stated Mihai Mogîldea.
According to the expert, the political parties could serve as a good platform to this effect as they have bodies at the local level, have people at the local level and can easier discuss with those people. “I hope the most important parties in the Republic of Moldova, the parliamentary ones in particular, will act with good intentions. The only thing that is not wanted in the current situation is for Russia to activate proxy agents here, in Chisinau, including in the public space, for these to act to the detriment of the Republic of Moldova. I hope this will not happen,” said the IPRE team leader.
The expert noted that the people in the Republic of Moldova are united in their wish for peace. “I don’t think someone wants war. Moreover, we should not forget that the Republic of Moldova is home to a number of minorities, including the Ukrainian minority that is the largest ethnic minority group in the Republic of Moldova. These people have relatives, friends and descendants in Ukraine and they are directly affected by the war in Ukraine. Therefore, society wants peace. I think in the current conditions, the support for the integrity, sovereignty of Ukraine, for the pro-European orientation of the Republic of Moldova increases,” he stated, expressing his confidence that a decision will be adopted to stop the propaganda and disinformation that daily enter the homes of Moldovans and the people will have access to reliable sources of information.
The public debate titled “Position and actions of Moldova in new conditions of security” was the 226th installment of the series “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”. IPN’s project is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.