Foreign Policy Association together with Friedrich- Ebert-Stiftung offer you a newsletter on foreign policy and European integration issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsletter is part of the “Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2019 NR.9 (163) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsletter is developed by Sorina Ştefârţă, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. HE Angela Ganninger, German Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova: „We are counting on the new Government to fully implement the Association Agreement with the European Union in word, deed and spirit” 2. Editorial by Oleg Serebrian, political scientist, writer, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Berlin:“What is Germany...” 3. Dr. Fritz Felgentreu, member of the German Bundestag and chairman of the German-Moldovan Forum: “The secret is not to become overly dependent of one single power only” 4. Expert Opinion. Markus Meckel: „The Difficulty of Remembering -Differences in Assessment” News in Brief The European Commission approved on October 10th, on behalf of the EU, the payment of a The German lesson, which we 30 million euro instalment to the Republic of Moldova: 10 mln in the form of grants and 20 mln as loan. It is the first of the three payments planned under the Macro-financial Assistance Programme for the Republic of Moldova adopted in September 2017, but are still learning how to learn suspended in the summer of 2018, because of the non- transparent invalidation of the election results in Chisinau municipality. After the new Government embarked in June 2019 on a comprehensive process of strengthening the independence of justice and combating corruption, the Commission and the European External Action Service decided that the political pre-requisite for the payment of the first instalment had been fulfilled. According to Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, “The European Commission is ready to continue its close collaboration with the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to contribute to the achievement of a broad and ambitious set of necessary economic and structural reforms with a view to ensuring jobs, economic growth and investments to the benefit of citizens”. Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was in Chisinau on October 3rd. Here, during the meetings with the top leadership of the country, Federica Mogherini referred to the main actions that the Government is currently focusing on such as the justice reform and the fight against corruption, the appointment of a new professional and upstanding General Prosecutor, the investigation of bank fraud and money recovery, organizing free and fair local elections, but also promoting Moldova’s interests abroad. The head of the European diplomacy said https://kadiasfood.files.wordpress.com Foto: that her visit to Chisinau is a signal of the relaunching of relations between the EU and the Republic of Moldova and Sorina Ștefârță to resist and be reborn – appreciated the determination of the Cabinet led by Maia Sandu in carrying out the comprehensive reform agenda. literally and figuratively Each of those who interacted In her turn, Prime Minister Maia Sandu underlined that the The current issue of the - from its own ashes; how with Germany has his/her Association Agreement and the European integration policy give us the most realistic chance to create a functional state. newsletter “Syntheses and to build your future with own history with ‘the country The head of the government appreciated the continuous Debates on Foreign Policy” is dignity, assuming fully your of the 16 Länder’. For some, assistance offered by the EU to our country due to which 70% of the exports go to the EU, over 6000 companies dedicated to Germany. Well past; how to prosper and this means philosophy and benefited from support, over 3000 jobs were created and nothing special is happening assert yourself worldwide; literature. For others it is over 700 kilometres of road were rehabilitated. in Germany these autumn and how to become what just BMW, Mercedes and The actions and priorities to be included in the days. It’s just a crossroad of we call today “the political Wolkswagen ... For some current Republic of Moldova - Council of Europe (CoE) Action Plan for the years 2019-2020 were two anniversaries - 29 years and economic engine of the this means the chance to discussed at an extended meeting at the Ministry of Foreign since the reunification of the European Union”. And ... just do a PhD through DAAD Affairs and European Integration. The CoE representatives and those of the national authorities exchanged views on the state, produced on 3 October an example of how to be a or to benefit from high- impact of the completed and ongoing projects, and identified 1990 and 30 years since the friend. Because Germany quality medicine, which the actions and priorities to be included in the current Plan. Nicu Popescu, the head of the Moldovan diplomacy fall of the Berlin Wall, which remains, for nearly 30 years, they have not been able to thanked the CoE for contributing to various areas of strategic happened on 9 November one of the faithful friends of find at home. For others importance for the Republic of Moldova and mentioned the impact and results of implementing assistance projects in 1989. And a model of how the Republic of Moldova. Germany identifies with areas such as strengthening democracy and the rule of law, and respect for human rights. At the same time, he stressed the need to mobilize internal and external resources in order Monthly Bulletin, Nr. 9 (163), September 2019 64, Sciusev str. MD-2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, Tel-Fax: +373 22 21 09 86 to advance the reform processes in the country, which will be Website: www.ape.md E-mail: [email protected] visible to the citizens. SEPTEMBER 2019 2 Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates the fact that they have tap water due to the dozens of projects carried out by GIZ We are counting on the new in Moldova... For me, Germany is the first European media Government to fully implement project, thanks to which, in the early 2000es, I was able to talk to my fellow citizens about Europe and our need for Europeans. And it the Association Agreement with also means ... the lesson about the value of the present in which we live. A peaceful and more or less free present. the European Union in word, It happened to me some years ago, in autumn, deed and spirit in Berlin, on my first visit to this city and country. I had taken a few extra days to the “official” ones, as much as to fit within the time limits of the visa, which was very carefully restricted by the German Embassy, even though it was the Embassy that invited me there (yes, yes, “some years ago” the Moldovan citizens needed visas to travel to the EU!). But that was enough for me to fall in love with this city. In one of the evenings, wandering along the streets, I came across a piece of wall. It was a remnant of the Berlin Wall, the sad symbol of the Cold War, erected in 1961 and demolished only after 28 years, in 1989. Full of multi- coloured graffiti, that piece of wall no longer HE Angela Ganninger, German of German reunification were tremendous resembled the concrete wall that divided a city, a Ambassador to the Republic of and a great deal has been achieved. The nation, and a country for almost three decades. fundamental freedoms – freedom of speech, And yet there was something grim and I found Moldova freedom of the press, freedom of travel myself crying. I was thinking that moment how and others – that were sorely missed in the I would I feel if one morning I found out I could ermany is one of the states that GDR were available immediately. The justice no longer visit my brother who lived in Buiucani, consistently and often without too system and the education sector in the “new while me living in Botanica. Obviously, like all the G much noise has supported the Republic Länder” (the former GDR) were reformed, brothers and sisters, the two of us used to fight of Moldova in its development efforts while the infrastructure was modernised, in the childhood and even today we are arguing. both from an economic point of view and etc. It is also true that German reunification But for someone else to decide whether or not I from a political perspective. About the can see him?! meant a big reversal in the lives of many Moldovan-German relations today, but also people, especially those from the former about the lessons we could learn from the Not once I remembered that Berlin night. I GDR. Not everyone managed to cope in the experience of the most powerful country in remembered that whenever I saw my fellow same way and not all individual dreams and citizens, but also the politicians stubbornly the European Union, I spoke with HE Angela expectations came true. refusing to take on the past - deportations Ganninger, German Ambassador to the of tens of thousands of people to Siberia, for Republic of Moldova. Did the Berlin Wall fall completely 30 years instance - but at the same time trying to revive ago or is it still separating the Germans? another past – kolkhozes. All of them, pretending Your Excellence, first of all, congratulations to be thinking about the future. But future can on the occasion of the National Day that you The Wall fell completely 30 years ago. be built by reconciliation.