Strategic partnership between Moldova and Russia has minimal chances of being successful, APE

Despite the preconditions existing for establishing a strategic Moldovan-Russian partnership, such a partnership has minimal chances of being successful. Moldova’s modernization by the model of the EU’s enlargement policy in Central Europe goes against Russia’s view on the integrationist processes in the post-Soviet area. In fact, they exclude each other, the executive director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE) Victor Chirila has said, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. He stated that the declared intention of the official Chisinau to build a strategic partnership with Moscow is neither credible not feasible, while the maneuvering space that Moldova can use in the relations with Russia is very limited. “In order to develop stable Moldova-Russian relations, there should be worked out realistic, predictable and credible policies in relation to Russia so as to facilitate the achieving of our strategic modernization and Europeanization objectives by developing utilitarian partnerships with Moscow in such areas of common interest as energy, trade, cultural-humanitarian cooperation, the Transnistrian conflict settlement process,” Victor Chirila told a news conference. The APE executive director said there are a series of obstacles to building a strategic partnership between Moldova and Russia, but the most important one is the lack of interest on the part of Russia in such a partnership and this disinterest will last until Moldova insists on the European integration. Victor Chirila considers that Moldova has a fragile policy towards the Russian Federation because the authorities do not want to make the Russians angry and want to sustain fewer losses if the Russians become angry. The confrontation of the two integrationist projects – the European Union and the Eurasian Union – on Moldova’s territory is inevitable and the consequences are unpredictable. “This confrontation actually started. The announcement about the creation of the Eurasian Union made by Vladimir Putin is a prelude to it. Even if the project is for the time being vague and for some of the experts not very credible, its symbolic meaning should not be neglected. The announcement is definitely a signal about Russia’s intentions given not only to the CIS states, but especially to the EU, as regards its extension limits at the East,” said the APE executive director. According to Victor Chirila, it is not excluded that Russia will be more incisive in defending its sphere of ‘privileged interest’ in Ukraine and Moldova in the future and the internal and external pressure exerted on both of the states will increase.