Moldova and Ukraine should reach a compromise with Russia in the European integration process and in the process of preparing for the Vilnius Summit. Russia hasn’t used all its instruments of pressure on these two states. The subject was discussed by Moldovan and Ukrainian experts in a radio duplex between Chisinau and Kiev staged by the national radio stations, IPN reports.
Foreign Policy Association program director Radu Vrabie said that the problems related to the economic sanctions can be solved by orienting the Moldovan and Ukrainian producers to the European market, but the possible bans on emigration to Russia would be a greater problem.
The expert also said that the reforms imposed by the EU are implemented faster in Moldova because the country is smaller. “There were done many of the reforms proposed by the EU, but a lot of work is yet to be done to put them into practice,” said Radu Vrabie.
Program director at the Public Policy Institute Oazu Nantoi said the Vilnius Summit is only a start towards the European integration. The Moldovan people lose confidence in the government coalition. “The Government will have to make maximum effort to show the voters that the cooperation with the EU is not aimed against somebody and does not have alternatives,” stated Oazu Nantoi, adding that until Russia has soldiers in the Transnistrian region, there will be risks that the situation in the region will destabilize.
The Ukrainian experts said that the conditions imposed by the EU were partially fulfilled in Ukraine, but there is yet a lot of work to be done. The complete reform in most of the areas is practically impossible in a rather short period of time. They consider that the reforms that cannot be implemented until the Vilnius Summit may be implemented after it.
As to the restrictions imposed by Russia on imports of Moldovan products, the Ukrainian experts consider that Moldova and Ukraine will encounter difficulties at the beginning, until the situation stabilizes and the producers orient themselves to other markets. Instead, they will obtain development prospects and investments from the European countries. In the end, it will be Russia that will lose.
