FlickrBaiba Braže with Baltic and Nordic Ministers in Moldova: we all hope our experience will help Moldovans make their decision in a referendum on EU membership based on facts rather than fear
15.10.2024. 20:11
On 15 October 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, together with the Baltic and Nordic Foreign Ministers visited Moldova. The visit aims to demonstrate unanimous support by the Baltic States and Nordic countries to Moldova’s integration with the European Union and their commitment to support Moldova on its path to EU membership. The visit takes place ahead of two key votes due on Sunday, 20 October: the presidential election and a referendum on Moldova’s accession to the EU.
The Baltic-Nordic delegation met Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popşoi. Discussions with the officials focused on the course of Moldova’s reforms, its EU integration process, and expectations and forecasts in relation to the upcoming nationwide voting on 20 October. The Baltic and Nordic Foreign Ministers voiced their support for reforms and resilience of Moldova and called for them to be continued.
“The Nordic countries and Baltic States strongly support the right of all Moldovans to freely and independently make their own choices. In meetings with Moldovan officials, we discussed their main challenges, especially in the context of this week’s elections. Senior Moldovan officials are very much interested in our experience – both about the time Latvia was preparing to join the European Union and now – about the achievements and gains after 20 years as an EU Member State. For us, those are concrete and practical benefits, as we have evolved into an economically developed, stable, secure and democratic country: wages in the country have risen six-fold, exports have grown 16 times, life expectancy of people has also increased,” Foreign Minister Baiba Braže underlined in a meeting with senior Moldovan officials.
Moldovan officials provided information about the negative impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on Moldova and of an increasing Russian hybrid threat targeting Moldova. The country faces propaganda and disinformation campaigns, intensifying hybrid attacks and various manifestations of Russian influence, especially ahead of the voting.
Moldovan officials welcomed the decision taken by the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, 14 October, to sanction five individuals and one legal entity over to their destabilising activities in Moldova.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Nordic countries and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening institutional capacity. The memorandum covers cooperation, coordination and information sharing, including support to modernisation of the situation-monitoring room in the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Nordic and Baltic countries have committed significant resources in support of Moldova’s reforms, efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and the country’s energy security, as well as humanitarian aid. In 2023, this support amounted to EUR 128.4 million.
On 8 October 2024, the Cabinet passed a decision to allocate EUR 50 000 in support of strengthening resilience of Moldova’s energy system. This is a message of solidarity to Moldovan society, which is standing up to various external challenges while pursuing ambitious national reforms and moving towards EU integration. Latvia contributed EUR 50 000 towards Moldova’s energy support in 2023 as well.
The President of the Parliament of Moldova, Igor Grosu, has accepted an invitation to take part in the Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform to be held in Riga on 23 and 24 October.
The Foreign Ministers also visited several regions of Moldova where they met with members of the public and shared their experience of EU membership and opportunities opened by the EU to the Moldovan people.
The Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, together with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, visited the city of Comrat, the administrative centre of Moldova’s Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, where she met with officials at the local administration, students and teaching staff of Comrat State University.
“The EU is not perfect, but joining the EU has brought us a range of opportunities and benefits. It seems inconceivable for today’s young people that we might not be part of the EU, it seems so self-evident. The EU is a democracy, and it has given us the opportunity and the right to choose and make decisions, while also to think and assume responsibility, which is sometimes difficult – harder than when someone tells you what needs to be done,” Baiba Braže underlined in a discussion with faculty and the young people.
The Baltic and Nordic foreign ministers last visited Moldova in April 2023, when Latvia was the coordinator of the NB8.
Further information / facts
- Bilateral relations between the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Moldova (in Latvian)
https://www.mfa.gov.lv/lv/latvijas-republikas-un-moldovas-republikas-divpusejas-attiecibas
According to the Central Statistical Bureau, the total volume of foreign trade in goods with Moldova in 2023 was EUR 44.9 million, an increase by 17.1% compared to 2022.
Moldova ranked 53rd among Latvia’s trade partners. During the same period, Latvia had a positive foreign trade balance with Moldova: EUR 23 million.
- Development cooperation
Latvia is implementing five regional development cooperation projects this year.
Five development cooperation projects with Moldova have been carried out in 2023 (3 regional and 2 bilateral).
In 2023, Latvia’s bilateral support to Moldova amounted to approximately EUR 187,000.
- Sanctions on Moldova’s oligarchs
In May 2023, in support of Moldova’s efforts to strengthen its security and constitutional order, the EU introduced sanctions against seven individuals responsible for destabilising the democratic political process in Moldova and undermining the sovereignty of the country. The sanctions, supported by Moldova, were initiated by Romania and supported by Latvia. Those put on the sanctions list included Pro-Russian oligarchs Vladimir Plahotniuc and Ilan Shor, who are currently hiding from criminal prosecution outside the country. Previously, similar sanctions were introduced by the United States and the United Kingdom.
In spring 2024, the EU extended its sanctions to include individuals attempting to destabilise the situation in the Gagauzian region. In total, four individuals and one organisation were added to the sanctions list.
The third round of Moldova-related sanctions was adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council on 14 October, sanctioning five individuals and one company. The latest listing includes the leader of Gagauzia, Evghenia Guţul, along with her associates in the region, as well as Nelli Parutenco and the company she runs, Evrazia.