The Nistru hydroelectric plant influences in a very dangerous manner the security of the inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova and of Ukraine too, even if the impact for the Ukrainian citizens is not so visible at present.

The current state and the prospects of the relations between Kyiv and Chisinau were analyzed within two mirror studies carried out simultaneously as part of the project “Moldova – Ukraine: Competition, Cooperation and Independence”. The project was implemented by the Ukraine Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation together with the Foreign Policy Council „Ukrainian Prism” in April – November 2017.

The study from the perspective of Moldova, which was presented in a news conference at IPN, says that civil security is the key element of efficient and responsible governance. Even if the ecological problems do not seem to form part of the national interests in a visible way, such as the resolution of the Transnistrian dispute, the human security remains a priority. The study authors consider that both of the countries, for different political and economic reasons, failed to give enough attention to the solving of environmental problems that already affect the capacity of the two states to cope with non-military threats.

According to the authors, it is about the impact of economic strategic facilities planned to be built by the Ukrainian side on the upper Nistru. The negotiations on the launch of this project lasted long. For Chisinau, the power plant in Novodnestrovsk turns into a direct threat to the security of people, while for the Ukrainian side, which manages the project, this is a source of economic benefits.

The study authors consider the possible consequences for the ecology and, subsequently, for the safety of people are better perceived in Chisinau than in Kyiv. At the same time, Moldovan civil society managed to exert greater pressure on the governmental authorities than the ecologists in Ukraine.