Comments on: Moldova’s making first steps back… toward Russia

By: eesti

eesti — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:24:45 +0000

when did you write it?

By: Mihai

Mihai — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:24:14 +0000

paznicul, you are right about the veto. The last events lead Moldova to loose this last “tool” in relationship with Russia. Sad!

By: paznicul

paznicul — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:19:16 +0000

Actually, the veto on Russia’s accession to WTO is one of the few things Moldova can negotiate with Russia. Otherwise Russia has a lot of blackmail capacity in what regards Moldova.

By: Mihai

Mihai — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 18:15:05 +0000

Serg,
The tactics someone uses are good only if they enforce the strategy. There is no good to be tactical if there is no well-defined strategy for development. Running from a master to another is not tactics.
Moldova is seeking for a better place in the international community, but cannot find this place because it does not know where to look for it.

By: Serg

Serg — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:54:02 +0000

Guys, you have a nice strategic talk, but let’s not forget that strategy means nothing when there is bad tactics.
This year Moldova suffered big economic losses due to Russian ban on Moldovan exports and due to railway problems. Production fell by 10%, lots of people are out of work. And this IS the main problem of the country right now and it IS more important than EU aspirations and value-based strategies.
EU will not cover our losses and will not feed our people. Therefore I totally support President Voronin in his efforts to get relations with Russia back on track.

By: Mihai

Mihai — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:26:12 +0000

Serg, Belarus is developed just economically, the same as Turkmenistan. Both countries are developed due to their geographical location and the natural resources they posses.
I do not want Moldova to be like any of these two, rather I would love to see Moldova more like Estonia or Latvia.
After the Soviet Union collapse, the Baltic Sates started their growth in the same position as Moldova. There are many similarities between the Baltic States and Moldova: similar size, similar number of population, similar natural resources, more exactly lack of natural resources. Indeed, the Baltic States are geographically closer to EU. However, the main reason why they ascended so fast is the people’s decisive attitude. And in the beginning of the ‘90s they had salaries under the minimum expenses required for living.
In addition, each of the Baltic States is more developed than Romania and Belarus.
Finally, the economic development is not about political friendships, it is more about own efforts and strategy. Take a look on http://www.blog.moscovici.org/2006/12/01/bugetul-republicii-moldova (in Romanian). It is really interesting.

Alexei, I do not affirm Moldova must make its strategy based only upon the choice of wishing to be with any power such as European Union or Russia. Rather, I tend to see Moldova as a country whose society aspire toward true democratic values.
Totally agree with your point of view that “the values (and not some momentary economic benefits) should constitute the core of any strategy.”

By: Alexei Ghertescu

Alexei Ghertescu — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 07:08:43 +0000

Mihai, I agree with you on the point about the long-term strategy. But that strategy shouldn’t be based upon a simple choice of wishing to be with Russia or with the EU…

I also prefer Moldova to make its choice in favour of EU. Not because I don’t like so much Russia. I was raised on russian culture and language, my relatives live there. However, I wish to see Moldova a Europe-centred country, and not just because “…the history demonstrates that no nation was able to live prosperously under the Russian rule”, not because of the possibilities to move easily through borders and economic help from Brussels, but because I (personally) share the principles and values that the European Union is based on.

And the values (and not some momentary economic benefits) should constitute the core of any strategy. And what is even more the people of Moldova must sincerely believe in those values (the thing that I don’t actually see today)…

By: Serg

Serg — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:56:52 +0000

“Untill we change the attitude we’ll be exactly where we are now. We need the changes in our society, in our state, we need reforms, we need to promote the democratic values not just for becoming EU members. We need them for becoming a modern prosperous state that respects its own citizens. Norway is not an EU member. And doesn’t want to be…”

Yes, I agree, but besides that there is a more important thing – we need to become well off country. There will never be anything like true democracy in a country where half of population lives on $100/month and people’s votes can be bought just for $10 pension increase.
And since EU refuses to help us – we have no choice than to align with Russia. Otherwise we have no future at all. So let’s forget about EU for 20 years at least and build our own country. It will depend just on EU whether we build it with EU or with Russia. I wanna follow european stream … BUT “show me the money!”. I’m sick and tired of tens of so called “experts” from EU doing nothing except talking bullshit about lack of democracy and freedom as if we dont know it already.
So for now – I believe we should align with Russia to get our economy in order and solve Transnistria problem. EU and US cannot solve it neither in Moldova nor in Georgia, keys for the solution are in Moscow and we’d better have good relations with Kremlin.
Later when we live better we’ll think about EU and whether we should join it or not.

“The history demonstrates that no nation was able to live prosperously under the Russian rule, the same during the Russian empire and during the Soviet Union regime.”

History is changing, you know… Belarus is by far more developed country right now than Moldova. It has about the same economic level as Romania. So let’s just not follow dogma’s whether European or Communist ones.

By: Mihai

Mihai — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:20:35 +0000

Serg and Alexei, I believe first of all that Moldova must determine its long-term priorities. Our country cannot live following the step-by-step strategy. The Baltic States have what they have because they managed to orient their policy into a long-term perspective of development. Right after the USSR collapsed, the Baltic States made their definitive choice toward EU.
Moldova still is not decided what to do and how to proceed. Up to 2001, I do not remember any public discussion about the mainstream of Moldovan foreign policy. The communist party won mainly because it promised to integrate Moldova in the Union of Russia-Belarus. Later, in 2005, the same party changed its platform and said it will lead Moldova toward European Union.
We are almost in 2007 and it seems that Moldovan government follows the actual stream and thinks just one step ahead, without considering the turn the future can bring.
Yes, Moldova is a small country and depends of the bigger powers. Yet, the old saying is that nobody can catch two rabbits at once. The same with Moldova, it cannot play for two masters at the same time.
I prefer Moldova will choose to follow the European Union integration. In a long-term perspective this is the best choice for Moldova. The history demonstrates that no nation was able to live prosperously under the Russian rule, the same during the Russian empire and during the Soviet Union regime.

By: Alexei Ghertescu

Alexei Ghertescu — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:40:27 +0000

Serg: “Yes we have some progress in this area, of course it does not come fast and easy. However we got next to nothing in exchange, even no encouragement to continue reforms to match EU standards.

EU has clearly indicated that it does not want to accept Moldova in the Union in foreseeable future. And visa regime will not be changed in the next 5 years at least. So what should we do during all these years?”

This is why we’re still at the same place where we were several years ago. From your words it looks like: “Show us the prospects of becoming EU members and then we will do our best in building a democratic civil society. If you don’t, then why should we do all these tiresome efforts? What for?…”

Untill we change the attitude we’ll be exactly where we are now. We need the changes in our society, in our state, we need reforms, we need to promote the democratic values not just for becoming EU members. We need them for becoming a modern prosperous state that respects its own citizens. Norway is not an EU member. And doesn’t want to be…

We should demonstrate that we want to the EU not because it’s rich (and for me that seems to be the only reason for becoming EU members for a vast majority of Moldovans) but because we really share its values and principles. And should do this either with EU support or without it. Because WE need it, not the EU…