Politics
Inauguration Was Short and Modest
Vladimir Voronin’s inauguration was short and modest today. It lasted only half an hour, including a 10-minute-long address to the legislature, diplomatic corps, leaders of ethnic-cultural societies of Moldova, and other esteemed guests.
The swearing and Inaugural Address over, Vladimir Voronin proceeded to the monument of Moldovan medieval King Stefan the Great where, under the sounds of the national anthem, he laid flowers. The official presidential cortege then headed to the Presidential Palace where, under music played by the Presidential Orchestra, Vladimir Voronin entered the premises where he is supposed to work another 4 years.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has highlighted integration into Europe as the country’s chief priority objective for next 4 years. He stated this in his Inaugural Aggress on the occasion of his taking a second office of the President of the Republic of Moldova today.
Following is the text of the Inaugural Address:
"Dear citizens of Moldova, Dear Members of the Parliament, Dear representatives of the Constitutional Court, Dear representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, Dear invitees,
The events of the latest days turn to be undoubtedly a sort of a prologue to a brand new period in the history of our country. For the first time the election of the President of the state proved to be a unique occasion for the unification and consolidation of the most different political forces, for the first time the competitive political process ended in a convincing and long-term compromise of the most irreconcilable opponents. And this is not at all a fortuitous combination of circumstances! This is a peculiar result of the political development endured by our society in the latest years. The past confrontation was finally crowned with the crystallization of a new common goal, a common meaning of our statehood’s development. Today it is clear for all that this goal and this meaning are perceived only within the European future of our country, only in the concentration of all forces in the name of attaining precisely such a perspective. The objective necessity for joining the united Europe, the great continent of the universal values, the vast pole of economic freedom, political and interethnic tolerance and high social responsibility obliges us to firmly throw away the old offences and continue to build together a new Moldova.
We know that in the next four years our country has to transform itself in a unified, territorially integral, European state with a developed economy, high incomes for the population, an effective level of social protection, a modern infrastructure and farming. We are aware that in the next four years we are obliged to do our best not only to attract foreign investments but also to ensure in Moldova a modern education and to become proud of the health and cultural state of our citizens. We are aware that in a short period of time we have to accomplish a real renewal of our state structure, assuming to the state’s institutions not only the appropriate powers but also an irreproachable competence, thus ensuring them the most extensive public trust.
We are confident that we will make Moldova a truly European country, a country of wealthy people! We will make it because we finally understood the advantage and force that stem from the nationwide unity and civic peace within the country. We will make it, because this is the will of our people and our country, which did not yield to the temptation to turn backwards the course of the history. We will make it as well, because we convinced ourselves in practice of the advantages of a true democracy and its curing force. The fresh gusts of destiny-making European revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine filled as well with air the sails of the Moldovan democracy. Moldova, too, is not alone today on its difficult road to Europe. It is a big chance for us that we move towards the high goals of the European integration together with our old and loyal friends, and this is the guarantee that our journey will not end with a disappointment.
We see that new, more human, and fair times come up. The most difficult years of trials pass and the assiduous work of the last years begins to bring results. We have escaped from the fen of humiliating and without any perspectives experiments, we have proved that we are able to achieve our projects and respond for our words. We managed to achieve the unification of the people, which is ready to assume the historical responsibility for its future.
The spirit of this new époque requires from us openness, tolerance and constructivism. We have to understand once for all that all our political, national and religious differences are only a yardstick of our axiological and cultural wealth, and not a basis for divergences and contradictions. We have to preserve ourselves from wasting again our forces for meaningless reproaches and pitiless skirmishes. Every coil of opposition, each skirmish of egoisms will turn us back into the past, will throw us away from the chosen road towards a European perspective. That is why all our energy, all the forces must be focused for creating and consolidating the authority of our country, for defending the dignity of our citizens,
A lot of work faces us. In the nearest years we have to do three things that will determine the success of our development and the attitude of the international community towards us.
First of all, we have to prove to our people that we are building indeed a state with a real, developed democracy in which there is no place for double standards, for weeds of authoritarianism, isolationism and disregard for human and minorities rights.
In service of the society should be just and incorruptible courts, competent and modern mass media outlets, all the contemporary mechanism for expression. All the idle talks about the creation of a democracy with a local specific character, or the discussions about not being ready for an authentic democracy should stop. The democracy either exists, or does not. And it doesn’t depend on a specific character. Our people deserve modern, fully functioning democratic institutions, as well as financial, technical, spiritual goods of the European society.
Secondly, we should undertake an economic breakthrough. It is necessary to use the bridgehead of the achieved economic development for a swift postindustrial leap so as to develop the economy, in the first place, on such resources as knowledge and high technologies. Only such a way will allow the achieving of a competitive national economy, will allow in a more pragmatic way to use the human capital, as well as will create conditions for a rapid social growth. This is certainly, in a good meaning, an ambitious task, but reasonably real. We have no time for a gradual sustainable development. We need a new structural value, capable to grant us a massive investment inflow, as well as a maximum employment of the population, and a high level of living.
Thirdly, we are obliged to create a modern system of social guarantees. These are not only the guarantees such as accessibility to public health, financial support of motherhood, high level of the pension insurance, but also the guarantees of an education growth and full cultural development. The museums, libraries, theatres, the developed sphere of services should reemerge in the regions of our country and become the features of a valuable and comfortable life. The Europeanisation of Moldova should begin from Giurgiulesti and Criva, from the villages and from each little town. And only at that point we will be confident that the project of the European Moldova is truly an irreversible and serious path of transformations in the name of the people, and not another slogan born in the offices of Chisinau.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!
The path of Moldova in the modern history is still a path for searching reliable and loyal allies, who respect the independence and territorial integrity of our country, the sovereign will of its multiethnic population. As you can see, the European choice of Moldova multiplied the number of our friends, of those who believe in our strength and support us. This support can be felt more and more, and I am confident that it will help us in the closest future reunite our country, deliver the people of Transnistria from a primitive and shameless regime. Namely, the decision for choosing the path to Europe – is also the hope of hundreds of thousands of people of Transnistria to regain their rights, security and welfare in a united country.
I am confident that the next four years will save us from disappointments and losses. I know that Moldova will be able to gain the image of a country, where it is possible and it is essential to live, work and raise children. Today as the day of Annunciation gives us the hope to believe that the dramatic history of our country will finally have an optimistic dénouement, that the good angels of goodness are somewhere close, while the endless evil forces leave us for good. It seems that another situation can’t even be possible. This is what our people, our land and our Motherland – the Republic of Moldova expects from us". // INFOTAG
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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