Views and Consultations on Ukraine

The Republic of Moldova will sign the EU Association Agreement on June 27, a deadline shortened in the context of the crisis in Ukraine.

România Internațional, 14.05.2014, 13:19

The Republic of Moldova will sign the EU Association Agreement on June 27, in Brussels. An invitation was addressed to Chisinau by the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, during a visit to this ex-Soviet republic with mostly Romanian-speaking population. As Herman Van Rompuy said, the Republic of Moldova is a free and sovereign European country, perfectly capable of making its own choices, and it is a key player in this part of the continent.

Van Rompuy’s invitation is an important security commitment that the European Union offers to the Republic of Moldova, in the context of the Ukraine crisis. The European official said technical and financial assistance should be given in order for reforms to be carried on, and promised that the European Council would support the sovereignty and integrity of the Republic of Moldova, in spite of the foreign pressure that it is subject to.

Along the same lines, the deputy secretary general of NATO Alexander Vershbow promised in Chisinau that although the Alliance would not be involved in the Republic of Moldova, in military terms, in case of an escalation of the Ukraine crisis, it would nonetheless offer political support to the country. “We are disturbed by Russia’s attempts to pressure you and your other neighbours. We share concerns about the security of this continent, about protracted conflicts and the increasing unpredictability of Russia’s actions in this region,” Alexander Vershbow said, referring to Transdniestr, a Russian-speaking region whose breakaway aspirations were substantially encouraged by the crisis in east Ukraine.

Meanwhile, President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta have expressed a common and clear view on the situation in Ukraine. Romania does not recognise the annexation of Crimea and the referendums in Lugansk and Donetsk, which come against the Constitution of Ukraine, said President Basescu, and added:

Traian Basescu: “The Russian Federation has two priorities: one is to have Ukraine turned into a federation, a process already started when Minister Lavrov recognised the referendums, and the second one is to prevent the presidential election of May 25.”

In turn, Prime Minister Ponta says a Supreme Defence Council meeting is necessary in order to decide on how to enforce the sanctions imposed by the EU and the USA against undesirable Russian officials.

Victor Ponta: “The Government of Romania will apply these sanctions firmly. We have reiterated our request for a Supreme Defence Council meeting in which we should analyse the level of sanctions, their enforcement and the responsibilities of each institution. And the President said he would announce the date of the Council meeting.”

The statements were made ahead of the planned visits to Bucharest of the NATO Secretary General, the US Vice-President and the US Defence Secretary, who will analyse the situation in the region together with Romanian authorities.