{"id":445564,"date":"2018-06-03T19:28:51","date_gmt":"2018-06-03T19:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=445564"},"modified":"2018-06-03T19:28:51","modified_gmt":"2018-06-03T19:28:51","slug":"weekly-roundup-un-human-rights-expert-visit-rome-52-talks-set-deadlines-rogozins-money-left-transnistria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/weekly-roundup-un-human-rights-expert-visit-rome-52-talks-set-deadlines-rogozins-money-left-transnistria\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Roundup: UN human rights expert visit, Rome 5+2 talks set deadlines, and Rogozin’s money left Transnistria"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

3 June 2018- While this week has been more about the debates between the main contenders for Chi\u0219in\u0103u’s mayor seat, some important things took place and have been said.<\/p>\n

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Hammarberg comes back:<\/strong>\u00a0The United Nations human rights expert, Thomas Hammarberg, undertook a visit to Moldova between 28 May and 1 June. In a preliminary statement<\/a>, Hammarberg remarked the increased level (compared to 2013) of HR awareness in the Transnistrian region in key sectors: persons with disabilities, prevention and treatment of HIV\/AIDS, tuberculosis, etc. According to him, the general situation improved, especially in the approach taken by the civil society groups.<\/p>\n

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Nevertheless, the UN expert argues that there are still major concerns in the institutional approach towards human rights in the Transnistrian region. There is concern in the situation of Roma people and the activity of NGOs.<\/p>\n

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1\/5:\u00a0<\/strong>One out of every five women in Moldova has been subjected to sexual harassment at work, and one out of every five female students sexually harassed in the education system, reports Balkan Insight<\/a> referring to a study by\u00a0Partnership for Development Centre.<\/p>\n

Of the women who said they had been harassed at work, four\u00a0per cent\u00a0said they had been asked for sex in return for certain rewards, intimidated or threatened with force.<\/p>\n

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Are you rich? Get the Moldovan citizenship!<\/strong><\/p>\n

MPs in Moldova are involved in a row over amendments to the country’s citizenship law, initiated by the ruling “pro-European” Democrat Party and expected to pass next week \u2013 which some say will worsen corruption. (M\u0103d\u0103lina Nec\u0219u\u021bu, Balkan Insight<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Under the amended rules, investors who want to acquire Moldovan citizenship as a result of their investments will no longer be obliged to learn the official language or study the constitution, as other applicants must do. Another important issue is that the presidential decree, which grants Moldovan citizenship for investors, will not contain the full names of the investors. Thus, the new “citizens” will remain anonymous.<\/p>\n

Some MPs are angry about the proposed changes, saying they will worsen corruption and even undermine security.\u00a0Roman Bo\u021ban, head of the parliament’s National Security Committee, resigned from his post, protesting that the changes could create “risks to national security, but also of corruption”.<\/p>\n

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Could An Oligarch Build a Democracy in Moldova?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dumitru Alaiba of CPR Moldova argues in an opinion<\/a> for German Marshall Fund that an oligarch like Vlad Plahotniuc cannot build a properly functioning democracy.<\/p>\n

The country is degrading and falling into isolation, as the country\u2019s oligarch, Vladimir Plahotniuc is tightening his grip. Plahotniuc emerged from nowhere in 2010 to become the most influential politician. His ruling Democratic Party received 15 percent of votes in late 2014. About one year later it forged a de facto majority in the Parliament. There has been much speculation about what attracted many lawmakers to the billionaire, but it is unlikely to be his sparkling personality.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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1,6 billion: <\/strong>According to a report published by\u00a0the Financial Intelligence Service of the Estonian police,\u00a0about 1,6 billion dollars was spent through Estonia on the Russian-Moldovan \u2018Laundromat\u2019 scheme from 2011 to 2014. More from Jam News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Hand that Feeds:\u00a0<\/strong>Despite a flow of funds from the EU, Gagauzia\u2019s citizens still pine for Russia. But why<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Some argue that locals have little integration within Moldova and that Russian media, popular in the region, or even the Moldovan media, rarely covers the European assistance impact.<\/p>\n

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Ukraine’s thirst for Nistru\/Dniester:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

“If Ukraine continues to insist on the construction of hydropower plants on the Nistru River, the relations with the Republic of Moldova will worsen”, Victor Juc, vice director of the Institute of Legal and Political Research of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, stated in the program \u201cEmphasis on today\u201d produced by TVR Moldova channel, \u00a0IPN reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But really, Ukraine might lose a friendly neighbor in its attempts to secure its energy security.<\/p>\n

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Ukraine Puts a Dent in Transnistria\u2019s Separatist Steel Industry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Igor Munteanu voiced his argument<\/a> for Emerging Europe that Ukrainian sanctions against the steel factory from Transnistria, Ribnita Steelworks (MMZ), is not just a coincidence.<\/p>\n

According to former ambassador to the US, Ukraine wants to send a message that the Transnistrian conflict settlement cannot be pushed forward by mediators:<\/p>\n

Sanctions could also be interpreted also as a soft warning against the \u2018small steps\u2019 policy of the OSCE and other mediators looking to end the long-running dispute between Moldova and Transnistria, which has for too long turned a blind eye to the real factors that keep the separatist regime afloat \u2013 the active involvement of Russian oligarchs in capturing valuable assets,\u00a0subsidising\u00a0separatism via discriminatory pricing, military threats and the maintenance of Russian regular troops in Transnistria against the wishes of the Moldovan government.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oh yeah, almost forgot: Poroshenko is also satisfying the needs of Ukrainian steel oligarchs.<\/p>\n

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Rogozin’s money left for space:\u00a0<\/strong>Remember Russia’s Vice-PM (harsh-language-philosopher) Dmitry Rogozin?<\/p>\n

Well, apparently, his NGO “European Integration” left 40 Transnistrian companies without almost 2 million US dollars. According to local media<\/a>, the NGO was supposed to pay the works for 14 social projects in the region, but did not until now.<\/p>\n

Now that Rogozin is not the Russian Vice-Premier, but (only) a director at Rosskosmos, who knows if the money will be paid ultimately? Maybe the Transnistrian contractors can find the money in space or at the ISS.<\/p>\n

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New deadlines after 5+2 talks in Rome:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Italian Chairmanship organized a series of 5+2 talks in Rome on 29-30 May. The result of these talks is a(nother) protocol<\/a> reinforcing the power of the “package of eight” agreed in Berlin in 2016. Chi\u0219in\u0103u and Tiraspol were “encouraged” to pursue the goals of this package.<\/p>\n

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Representatives of the Sides, Mediators and Observers during the meeting of the 5+2 talks on the Transnistrian Settlement Process, Rome, 30 May 2018. (OSCE)<\/p><\/div>\n

Moreover, it was agreed to set 3 goals and 3 deadlines on 3 issues:<\/p>\n