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| TENSE RELATIONS BETWEEN BUCHAREST AND CHISINAU (22.08.07) |
| (2007-08-22) |
| Last updated: 2007-08-23 19:06 EET |
Although in recent years they’ve adopted a pro-European rhetoric, the communist authorities in the ex-Soviet Republic of Moldova, a country with a majority Romanian speaking population, can no longer disguise their Romania-phobic reflexes. Every time relations with Russia turn sour, a sullen Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin plays the European integration card, even if Chisinau qualifies neither politically, nor economically for EU entry. Still clinging to the prejudices imbibed during the Soviet regime, Chisinau constantly rejects any kind of support from neighbouring Romania, which has been an EU member since January 1st 2007.
Chisinau’s aversion towards Bucharest has grown deeper as more Moldovan citizens applied to regain their Romanian citizenship, which they, their parents or grandparents had lost in 1940, when Stalin annexed the eastern Romanian territories. Aware of the fact that having a Romanian passport facilitates access to the European labour market, the number of Moldovan applicants totals several hundred thousands. Considering that the country’s entire population totals some 4 million people, this represents a huge number. For President Voronin, who maintains very strict control over his small republic, nothing would be more frustrating than for his subjects to slip between his fingers. Voronin is equally bothered by Romania’s efforts to facilitate Moldovan citizens’ access to entry visas, which have become compulsory as of January 1st this year.
Recently, Chisinau officially retracted its initial consent with regard to the opening of two new Romanian consulates in the Moldovan towns of Balti, in the north, and Cahul, in the south of the republic. The two consulates would have put a stop to visa applicants having to permanently queue outside the Romanian consulate in the Moldovan capital.
Even more recently, through its deputy interior minister, Valentin Zubic, Moldova accused a Romanian diplomat of corruption. The head of the Consular Department, Alexandru Rus, is accused of having granted entry visas to Moldovan citizens through several travel agencies, in exchange for a bribe of 230 euros, despite the fact that visas are legally granted for free. The Romanian foreign ministry officials neutrally announced that they opened a personal investigation into this matter.
In turn, Romanian President Traian Basescu explained that neither the Romanian Embassy, nor the Romanian Consulate in the Republic of Moldova grant entry visas for Romania, as these are only issued in Bucharest. The President said, angrily:
“This entire scam was about the need to have a Romanian civil servant on film, holding an envelope, which no one knows whether he is giving or taking. We know where frauds are being committed, within travel agencies. This is Moldova’s final act of agression planned against Romania. This time we are going to respond in a very harsh manner.”
The President’s anger is even more justified as the Moldovan authorities are continuing to launch new diversions. On the groundless accusation of having been involved in organizing the large-scale demonstrations of the Christian-democrat opposition in Chisinau in early 2000, Romania’s military attaché in Chisinau became post-communist Romania’s only diplomat ever to be declared persona non-grata. Analyst Vitalie Ciobanu from Chisinau also warned that Romania should send its most highly qualified diplomats to the Republic of Moldova, its most honest professionals, those people capable of coming up with solutions, so as not to give fuel to the communist propaganda.
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2025-04-03
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