On November 19, it will be 20 years of the signing of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation. Assessing the bilateral Moldovan-Russian relations, expert Victor Juc, Doctor Habilitate of Political Sciences, stated for IPN that these are normal, at least at dialogue level. “The relations are neither too friendly, nor unfriendly,” said Victor Juc, making reference to the recent visit paid by Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, to Moscow.
“The problems that appear in the relations between the two states are solved, like the gas supply issue, even if it was a momentary solution in this case,” said Victor Juc. According to him, a problem that was constantly discussed in the dialogue between Moscow and Chisinau – the social protection of Moldovan migrants working in Russia, is no longer pressing as the Moldovan migrants adjusted to the conditions in Russia, while the Moldovan authorities cannot promote particular interests of the Moldovan workers, who have to only comply with the general legal framework in the host country.
The export of Moldova agricultural products to Russian wasn’t debated in the public sphere this year even if some of the farmers remained with the harvest in the fields and in orchards. The farmers realized that high-quality products can be exported both to the EU and to Russia, which made the requirements concerning imported products harsher.
The Transnistrian issue has been correctly addressed by the Moldovan authors. It’s good that Minister Nicu Popescu requested to withdraw the Operational Group of Russian Troops from the Transnistrian region, even if his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov overlooked this message. However, there are now no preconditions for solving the dispute and Russia is waiting to see what policies Moldova will pursue and will then decide how to act.
For his part, expert Victor Stepaniuc, Doctor of History, has told IPN that Russia was and continues to be a strategic partner. The Transnistrian conflict left an imprint on the bilateral relations, but a part of the Moldovan society sympathizes with Russia. “We are united by the common Orthodox area and have ties in the economic and cultural sectors,” he stated, noting that Russia expects Moldova to ensure clarity and safety. “Even among the supporters of the European integration are many persons who support the keeping and strengthening of good relations with Russia. The Moldova administration should have a pragmatic attitude and should not become involved in geopolitical disputes. The contract for the supply of gas signed with Gazprom could have been more advantageous to Moldova if Moldovan officials hadn’t taken part in anti-Russia events.
“The visit paid by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicu Popescu to Moscow’s is a sign of the government’s wish to have balanced relations with the partners from the West and the East. This is beneficial for the resolution of the Transnistrian conflict and for the economic development of the Republic of Moldova,” stated Victor Stepaniuc.
