EU should extend presence in Transnistrian region through projects

The Transnistrian conflict can not be solved through a diplomatic offensive, and a quick and dirty solution based on a grand bargain with Russia would almost certainly impair the integration of Moldova into the EU; instead, the EU and Moldova should pursue a bottom-up policy of de facto reintegration. The recommendation was formulated by Nicu Popescu and Leonid Litra in a study called “Transnistria: A Bottom-Up Solution”, Info-Prim Neo reports. The authors suggest the EU should keep high-level diplomatic pressure on Russia to expand the scope for confidence building measures between Moldova and Transnistria, modifying the peacekeeping arrangements, and removing military checkpoints. The experts think the EU should expand its interaction with the Transnistrian authorities through joint projects and seek to connect the region to EU-Moldova cooperation, including free trade. “But by far the most important contribution the EU can make to the conflict settlement process is to anchor Moldova in Europe by supporting the reform process”. The European Union, the experts note, has focused on smaller steps in the absence of a high-political breakthrough, and has already committed to spending almost €30 million on conflict settlement in Transnistria over the next few years. This money will support the confidence-building process with concrete projects that could bolster links and interdependence between the two sides of the river Nistru and increase the EU’s leverage in the region. “Many in Chisinau fear that this approach could strengthen Transnistria’s international exposure and the sustainability of its de facto independence. Even though there is a risk that such an approach risks fueling secessionist ambitions, it is ultimately sound”, the authors say in the study. Leonid Litra and Nicu Popescu stress that the hopes of a quick settlement are not realistic, and in order to achieve the de facto reintegration of the Transnistrian region into Moldova a bottom-up climate of building trust is needed, along with common economic projects and a greater presence of the EU in the region. “It will take several years of such measures – perhaps even a decade – before Moldova and Transnistria can realistically hope to achieve a sustainable constitutional arrangement for conflict settlement”, conclude the study's authors. The study “Transnistria: A Bottom-Up Solution” was published by IDIS “Viitorul” and the European Council on Foreign Relations, with the financial support of the Soros Foundation Moldova.