Politics
EU scrapping South Caucasus, Moldova envoys
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe reported decision by the EUs foreign policy chief would seem to signal a downgrading of the blocs involvement in its eastern neighborhood.
The reported decision by the EU’s foreign policy chief would seem to signal a downgrading of the bloc’s involvement in its eastern neighborhood.
In a signal of waning interest in its eastern neighborhood, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Cathering Ashton, has reportedly proposed abolishing the posts of EU special representatives for the South Caucasus and Moldova.
Diplomats say the proposal to scrap the positions came as a surprise to many member states, which would have to give final approval, as well as to the envoys themselves.
The move would downgrade the EU’s presence on the ground in the regions, limit the access of their governments to Brussels, and send a strong signal that both Moldova and the South Caucasus are falling down the EU’s list of priorities.
The move is likely to cause further controversy as it was announced to EU member states just before the two-day EU-Russia summit that begins today in Rostov-na-Donu.
The proposal was tabled at the end of an EU ambassadors meeting on May 28 by Ashton’s right-hand man, the veteran British diplomat Robert Cooper.
Cooper was expanding on a letter sent by Ashton to EU foreign ministers on May 21. Described as "vague" by one EU diplomat, the letter outlined a number of general principles for the reorganization of the current structure of EU envoys. Called "special representatives," the envoys technically report to the EU’s high representative for foreign policy but are nominated by the 27 member states in consensus and regularly consult with member-state ambassadors in Brussels.
Overhaul Of The System
The EU currently has 11 special representatives. In addition to Moldova and the South Caucasus, the representatives work in Sudan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Africa’s Great Lakes region. Representatives have also been appointed to work with the African Union and the Middle East peace process.
Pierre Morel, the EU special representative to Central Asia, was granted an additional representative post for crisis management in Georgia following the August 2008 war.
The Ashton letter had suggested the scrapping of EU special representatives for geographically distant regions, merging some with existing European Commission delegations, and retaining only those seen as most important for the EU. Envoys performing a dual function — such as those representing the international community as well as the bloc itself in Kosovo, Bosnia, and Macedonia — would also stay.
The current creation of a consolidated EU diplomatic corps, called the External Action Service (EAS), was always expected to force an overhaul of the system, but one nowhere near as radical as that laid out by Cooper.
The South Caucasus and Moldova — homes to Europe’s most persistent "frozen conflicts" — would lose their special representatives, currently Peter Semneby and Kalman Mizsei, respectively. So would the Middle East peace process. .
In Moldova, the special envoy’s position would be merged with that of the European Commission’s representative and later brought within the EAS. The three countries in the Caucasus would each undergo similar treatment, but in the process would also lose their regional significance for the EU.
Waning Interest?
Diplomats critical of the new plan point out that Ashton plans to retain special representatives for Sudan, the Great Lakes area, and Central Asia. All of these are geographically more distant than the South Caucasus. The move, these diplomats say, could therefore be read as a signal of the bloc’s waning interest in the South Caucasus, where the EU has had an envoy present since 2003, the year of the Rose Revolution in Georgia.
It also signals another lurch toward big-power politics within the EU, with the interests of the larger member states increasingly setting the bloc’s agenda. Germany, France, and Britain all take a particularly keen interest in Central Asia, in view of their engagement in Afghanistan.
Officials in Brussels note that Ashton is bound to have cleared her plans with Berlin, Paris, and London first. Semneby and Miszei were not consulted in advance.
The move also constitutes a blow for Poland and other, mostly eastern EU member states pushing the bloc to upgrade its commitment to the South Caucasus by appointing a more senior figure — ideally an ex-foreign minister — as its next envoy. (The mandates for both Semneby and Miszei are due to expire on August 31 of this year.) It is unclear if Warsaw was informed of Ashton’s proposal in advance, but it now has an almost insurmountable mountain to climb should Germany, France, and Britain already have closed ranks around the foreign policy chief.
Diplomats say that once Ashton’s embattled new diplomatic service is finally launched late this year, the EU point man for the South Caucasus will be a mid-level manager in the EAS located in Brussels. This, EU sources suggest, would represent a drop of more than a notch in the bloc’s relations with the region.
It would also negatively affect the access of regional governments and media to the EU. Semneby, the current special representative to the South Caucasus, spends most of his time in the region and is authorized to speak on behalf of the EU. His mandate is likely to be extended past the August 31 deadline, but only until the EAS has selected a replacement.
The downgrading of Moldova in the bloc’s new diplomatic hierarchy is likely to leave the country increasingly dependent on its closest EU neighbor, Romania, for access to Brussels.
A new football club has earned a leading place in the UEFA Champions League groups and starred in the headlines of worldwide football news yesterday. The Football Club Sheriff Tiraspol claimed a win with the score 2-1 against Real Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. That made Sheriff Tiraspol the leader in Group D of the Champions League, including the football club in the groups of the most important European interclub competition for the first time ever.
International media outlets called it a miracle, a shock and a historic event, while strongly emphasizing the origin of the team and the existing political conflict between the two banks of the Dniester. “Football club from a pro-Russian separatist enclave in Moldova pulls off one of the greatest upsets in Champions League history,” claimed the news portals. “Sheriff crushed Real!” they said.
Moldovans made a big fuss out of it on social media, splitting into two groups: those who praised the team and the Republic of Moldova for making history and those who declared that the football club and their merits belong to Transnistria – a problematic breakaway region that claims to be a separate country.
Both groups are right and not right at the same time, as there is a bunch of ethical, political, social and practical matters that need to be considered.
Is it Moldova?
First of all, every Moldovan either from the right or left bank of Dniester (Transnistria) is free to identify himself with this achievement or not to do so, said Vitalie Spranceana, a sociologist, blogger, journalist and urban activist. According to him, boycotting the football club for being a separatist team is wrong.
At the same time, “it’s an illusion to think that territory matters when it comes to football clubs,” Spranceana claimed. “Big teams, the ones included in the Champions League, have long lost their connection both with the countries in which they operate, and with the cities in which they appeared and to which they linked their history. […] In the age of globalized commercial football, teams, including the so-called local ones, are nothing more than global traveling commercial circuses, incidentally linked to cities, but more closely linked to all sorts of dirty, semi-dirty and cleaner cash flows.”
What is more important in this case is the consistency, not so much of citizens, as of politicians from the government who have “no right to celebrate the success of separatism,” as they represent “the national interests, not the personal or collective pleasures of certain segments of the population,” believes the political expert Dionis Cenusa. The victory of FC Sheriff encourages Transnistrian separatism, which receives validation now, he also stated.
“I don’t know how it happens that the “proud Moldovans who chose democracy”, in their enthusiasm for Sheriff Tiraspol’s victory over Real Madrid, forget the need for total and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria!” declared the journalist Vitalie Ciobanu.
Nowadays, FC Sheriff Tiraspol has no other choice than to represent Moldova internationally. For many years, the team used the Moldovan Football Federation in order to be able to participate in championships, including international ones. That is because the region remains unrecognised by the international community. However, the club’s victory is presented as that of Transnistria within the region, without any reference to the Republic of Moldova, its separatist character being applied in this case especially.
Is it a victory?
In fact, FC Sheriff Tiraspol joining the Champions League is a huge image breakthrough for the Transnistrian region, as the journalist Madalin Necsutu claimed. It is the success of the Tiraspol Club oligarchic patrons. From the practical point of view, FC Sheriff Tiraspol is a sports entity that serves its own interests and the interests of its owners, being dependent on the money invested by Tiraspol (but not only) oligarchs.
Here comes the real dilemma: the Transnistrian team, which is generously funded by money received from corruption schemes and money laundering, is waging an unequal fight with the rest of the Moldovan football clubs, the journalist also declared. The Tiraspol team is about to raise 15.6 million euro for reaching the Champions League groups and the amounts increase depending on their future performance. According to Necsutu, these money will go directly on the account of the club, not to the Moldovan Football Federation, creating an even bigger gab between FC Sheriff and other football clubs from Moldova who have much more modest financial possibilities.
“I do not see anything useful for Moldovan football, not a single Moldovan player is part of FC Sheriff Tiraspol. I do not see anything beneficial for the Moldovan Football Federation or any national team.”
Is it only about football?
FC Sheriff Tiraspol, with a total estimated value of 12.8 million euros, is controlled by Victor Gusan and Ilya Kazmala, being part of Sheriff Holding – a company that controls the trade of wholesale, retail food, fuels and medicine by having monopolies on these markets in Transnistria. The holding carries out car trading activities, but also operates in the field of construction and real estate. Gusan’s people also hold all of the main leadership offices in the breakaway region, from Parliament to the Prime Minister’s seat or the Presidency.
The football club is supported by a holding alleged of smuggling, corruption, money laundering and organised crime. Moldovan media outlets published investigations about the signals regarding the Sheriff’s holding involvement in the vote mobilization and remuneration of citizens on the left bank of the Dniester who participated in the snap parliamentary elections this summer and who were eager to vote for the pro-Russian socialist-communist bloc.
Considering the above, there is a great probability that the Republic of Moldova will still be represented by a football club that is not identified as being Moldovan, being funded from obscure money, growing in power and promoting the Transnistrian conflict in the future as well.
Photo: unknown
Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilita, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicu Popescu, pay an official visit to Brussels, between September 27-28, being invited by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell Fontelles.
Today, Prime Minister had a meeting with Charles Michel, President of the European Council. The Moldovan PM thanked the senior European official for the support of the institution in strengthening democratic processes, reforming the judiciary and state institutions, economic recovery and job creation, as well as increasing citizens’ welfare. Natalia Gavrilita expressed her confidence that the current visit laid the foundations for boosting relations between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, so that, in the next period, it would be possible to advance high-level dialogues on security, justice and energy. Officials also exchanged views on priorities for the Eastern Partnership Summit, to be held in December.
“The EU is open to continue to support the Republic of Moldova and the ambitious reform agenda it proposes. Moldova is an important and priority partner for us,” said Charles Michel.
Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita also met with Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy, expressing her gratitude for the support received through the OMNIBUS macro-financial assistance program. The two officials discussed the need to advance the recovery of money from bank fraud, to strengthen sustainable mechanisms for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova, and to standardize the customs and taxes as one of the main conditions for deepening cooperation with the EU in this field.
Additionally, Prime Minister spoke about the importance of the Eastern Partnership and the Deep Free Trade Agreement, noting that the Government’s policies are aimed at developing an economic model aligned with the European economic model, focused on digitalization, energy efficiency and the green economy.
A common press release of the Moldovan Prime Minister with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles, took place today, where the agenda of Moldova’s reforms and the main priorities to focus on in the coming months were presented: judiciary reform; fighting COVID-19 pandemic; promoting economic recovery and conditions for growth and job creation; strengthening state institutions and resilience of the country.
“I am here to relaunch the dialogue between my country and the European Union. Our partnership is strong, but I believe there is room for even deeper cooperation and stronger political, economic and sectoral ties. I am convinced that this partnership is the key to the prosperity of our country and I hope that we will continue to strengthen cooperation.”
The Moldovan delegation met Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice. Tomorrow, there are scheduled common meetings with Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport and Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.
Prime Minister will also attend a public event, along with Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.
Photo: gov.md
Politics
Promo-LEX about Maia Sandu’s UN speech: The president must insist on appointing a rapporteur to monitor the situation of human rights in Transnistria
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, pays an official visit to New York, USA, between September 21-22. There, she participates in the work of the United Nations General Assembly. According to a press release of the President’s Office, the official will deliver a speech at the tribune of the United Nations.
In this context, the Promo-LEX Association suggested the president to request the appointment of a special rapporteur in order to monitor the situation of human rights in the Transnistrian region. According to Promo-LEX, the responsibility for human rights violations in the Transnistrian region arises as a result of the Russian Federation’s military, economic and political control over the Tiraspol regime.
“We consider it imperative to insist on the observance of the international commitments assumed by the Russian Federation regarding the withdrawal of the armed forces and ammunition from the territory of the country,” the representatives of Promo-LEX stated. They consider the speech before the UN an opportunity “to demand the observance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Russian Federation with reference to this territory which is in its full control.”
“It is important to remember about the numerous cases of murder, torture, ill-treatment, forced enlistment in illegal military structures, the application of pseudo-justice in the Transnistrian region, all carried out under the tacit agreement of the Russian Federation. These findings stem from dozens of rulings and decisions issued by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that Russia is responsible for human rights violations in the region.”
The association representatives expressed their hope that the president of the country would give priority to issues related to the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region and would call on relevant international actors to contribute to guaranteeing fundamental human rights and freedoms throughout Moldova.
They asked Maia Sandu to insist on the observance of the obligation to evacuate the ammunition and the military units of the Russian Federation from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, to publicly support the need for the Russian Federation to implement the ECtHR rulings on human rights violations in the Transnistrian region, and to request the appointment of an UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur to monitor the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova.
**
The Promo-LEX Association concluded that 14 out of 25 actions planned within the National Action Plan for the years 2018–2022 concerning respecting human rights in Transnistria were not carried out by the responsible authorities.
The association expressed its concern and mentioned that there are a large number of delays in the planned results. “There is a lack of communication and coordination between the designated institutions, which do not yet have a common vision of interaction for the implementation of the plan.”
Promo-LEX requested the Government of the Republic of Moldova to re-assess the reported activities and to take urgent measures, “which would exclude superficial implementation of future activities and increase the level of accountability of the authorities.”
Photo: peacekeeping.un.org
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