Vladimir VORONIN: “Integration with the EU is no obstacle to relations with Russia”
“Mr. Voronin, how would you characterize Moldova’s foreign policy vector?”
“The vector of our state policy and a means of achieving its goals is a course toward a phased integration with the European community. In fact, if you combine all the phases of this process, this vector would add up to our integration with the EU. Meanwhile, unless we establish friendly bilateral relations with European states, we cannot speak of Moldova’s EU accession in principle. The Salzburg Summit is one of its preliminary stages.”
“Doesn’t Moldova’s close relationship with Russia contradict the course you have declared?”
“It doesn’t, it can’t, and it mustn’t. We have signed a fundamental agreement on our strategic relationship with Russia. Our cooperation with Russia is developing in this direction and will continue to do so. The Russo-Moldavian relationship has developed throughout history and is displaying good dynamics, with Russia accounting for 46% of our foreign trade operations.”
“Certain political forces in Ukraine hold a different view of this double course strategy. What is the situation in Moldova?”
“European integration is the priority strategic task of our foreign policy. And it will not change in the foreseeable future. We have no internal problems with that. We conducted a public opinion poll on the eve of local government elections. Its results suggest that the majority of our citizens support European integration and simultaneously preserving our close relationship with Russia.”
“What is your assessment of the EU initiative to grant Moldova and Ukraine new neighbor status?”
“We will receive this status automatically even if we are not granted it now. If Romania joins the EU in 2007, our states will become de facto EU neighbors with all the ensuing consequences and new possibilities. Thus, in my view, Ukraine and Moldova must formalize their neighbor status.”
“Won’t it become a roadblock to the eventual integration with the EU?”
“On the contrary, we will not join Europe without this status. We can’t leap over other states.”
“What are the realistic dates for Moldova’s and, if you have any idea, Ukraine’s EU accession?”
“It’s hard to say. Not before 2010-2012 and maybe even later.”
“Don’t you get the impression that Ukraine and Moldova will not be admitted to the EU and that the negotiations with the EU about political integration have no future?”
“I don’t think so. It’s just that before this can happen we must further deepen our cooperation and pass a number of stages of horizontal and vertical integration with different European structures. We must not merely bide our time.”
“Moldova has joined the WTO. Has this benefited its economy?”
“It’s been two years since we stemmed the decline in social and economic development, though I wouldn’t attribute it solely to our WTO membership. But the fact that we have higher rate of production growth is a direct result of our WTO membership.”
The author would like to thank the International Renaissance Foundation for making his coverage of the Salzburg Summit possible.
