Govt endorses draft National Security Strategy

The Government endorsed the draft National Security Strategy, after debates with experts and representatives of the civil society. The actions targeted at ensuring the national security are based on the statute of neutrality of Moldova, deputy premier Andrei Stratan, the minister of External Affairs and European integration, said, Info-Prim Neo reports. “These actions refer to ensuring the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, the constitutional order, the democratic development, society's and citizens’ security, both in Moldova and abroad, strengthening the statehood of Moldova, defending and promoting the national values,” Andrei Stratan said. The stipulations of the document allow the Government to take into consideration the internal and external developments and to adapt policies in the area of national security. The strategy project will enable identifying specific segments of the national security system, working out strategies for reform and modernization, the deputy premier added. It is about the national military Strategy and other security sector strategies. The National Security Strategy Project is to be adopted by the Moldovan Parliament. The National Security Strategy of Moldova should stipulate the need to ratify the Rome Statute by Parliament , the non-governmental organization Promo-Lex maintains. In a press release, the organization argues the document “would prevent the crimes against the people in the Transnistrian area.” “Another aspect that needs not to be ignored within the National Security Strategy is the need to apply the national legislation to defend the constitutional rights of the residents of that area,” the NGO says. The watchdog representatives maintain the efficiency of the Join Control Commission (JCC) should be improved to defend the human rights within the Security Zone and in entire Transnistrian area. Experts warn the draft strategy has no answer for a possible military conflict in the Transnistrian area. In the event of a military aggression that would aim to occupy the few settlements located in the Transnistrian region but still controlled by Chisinau, the Moldovan authorities would be taken aback, because the National Security Strategy, as it is currently drafted, does not provide solutions to deal with such situations, says Dumitru Manzarari, associate researcher at the Chisinau-based think-tank IDIS Viitorul. The draft of the National Security Strategy for 2009-2013 should have an item dealing with fighting corruption, in addition to just stating the increased level of the phenomenon, plus the priorities in preventing and fighting the scourge. The opinion has been uttered by an expert of corruption watchdog Transparency International – Moldova, Efim Obreja, Info-Prim Neo reports. The expert believes this item should elaborate on measures as enhancing the level of legal culture and anti-corruption education; adjusting the national law to the requirements of international documents and experience; adequately implementing the system of recruiting, employing, promoting public servants. Plus, an internal control system is needed to work, accompanied by a petitioning system, a system to prevent and approach the conflicts of interests, insuring the transparency in managing public finances, improving the income declaring system, etc. Efim Obreja points out that the draft lacks norms regarding good governance. “Moldova faces a series of issues related to the good governance, especially related to insuring the judiciary's independence, impartiality and efficiency. An article on good governance in the strategy should analyze the present situation, the existent problems and the measures to be implemented,” the expert said. The National Security Strategy does not include measures aimed at preventing energy threats, but only general definitions, says Andrei Popov, executive director of the Foreign Policy Association (APE). “I read two pages and find only definitions of the risks and no solutions to this not at all virtual danger that threatens us now,” Popov told a roundtable meeting on the draft strategy. According to the analyst, the stipulations regarding the energy security of Romania and the United States occupy only a paragraph, but contain concrete solutions for managing energy-related risks. It should be the same in Moldova. “The strategy should envision such measures as the connection to Romania’s energy system, building up stocks, possibility to switch to crude oil,” Popov said. The draft National Security Strategy was proposed for public discussions on December 31, 2008. The Government published the draft strategy on its website (www.gov.md). Proposals can be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration by January 19.