Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova Called the Transnistrian Conflict of 1992 a Civil War

Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu tried to allay fears associated with the new government in Moldova in Bucharest July 1. During а press conference with Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu he said that all parties of the ruling coalition in Moldova support European vector and there is nothing wrong with the normalization of relations with Russiat, as well as the federalization of the country is out of question. Speaking about the Transnistrian conflict of 1992, the Foreign Minister called it a civil war, the consequences of which must be overcome by dialogue, openness and small steps that improve the lives of people from the two banks of the Dniester. On the foreign policy vector The Foreign Minister stressed that the only vector of Moldova is European integration. According to him, this course is supported by all parties that have created a parliamentary majority and formed a government. And none of the parties supports the revision of the Association Agreement with the EU. Nicu Popescu explained that those Moldovan citizens who voted for the Socialist Party are not anti-Europeans or anti-Americans. And those who voted for the ACUM bloc were not advocating for poor relations with Russia. He added that the normalization of relations with Russia and the unblocking of trade and economic ties will only benefit Moldova. The Minister stressed that about 80% of the population of Moldova stand for good relations with the West and the East. And this gives him as the head of the Foreign Ministry “a room for maneuvering with the unconditional preservation of the European course of country’s development.” Federalization and military withdrawal The Foreign Minister said that the topic of federalization is not on the political agenda in Moldova. Federalization is not a question to pose. “There is not even a hypothetical parliamentary majority that would support such a scenario. And the most important factor that makes it impossible is public opinion: more than 80% of Moldova’s population is against federalization. There’s nothing to worry about,” Popescu assured. He added that the Moldovan government is interested in “making life easier for our fellow citizens who live in the Transnistrian region as a result of the civil war of 1992.” According to him, it will be carried out through dialogue, policy of openness and small steps: access to documents, granting citizenship, recognition of diplomas, etc. Answering the question whether the government supports the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Moldova, Popescu said that there was a position of the Republic of Moldova, which was followed by absolutely all governments from 1991 to 2019: “We want Russia to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Republic of Moldova. This is the position of the current government, and this is the consistency of the position of all the governments of the Republic of Moldova.” On the role of Romania in the period of dual power in Moldova Nicu Popescu spoke positively about the role of Bucharest in resolving the political crisis under the recent dual power in Chisinau. He thanked Romania for its support at that time and for the decisive role it played in the peaceful transfer of power. When journalists noticed that “from Bucharest it looked a little different” (Romanian Foreign Minister Melescanu made a statement that the Romanian Foreign Ministry then came to disavow), Popescu said that Romania was the first country that officially spoke in favor of a peaceful transfer of power in Chisinau. According to him for the moment Chisinau is counting on Romania’s assistance in the implementation of energy projects and promotion of the European agenda of Moldova – primarily in unblocking financial assistance frozen due to the actions of the former leadership of the country. Newsmaker