The Transnistrian Conflict Today & Tomorrow: How Should Europe Act? By Daria Goncearova
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which did not give the expected results, a different approach is required from all the participants of the negotiations’ process. This paper analyses the current state of play and suggests some policy recommendations for both the EU and the Moldovan Government. These include, for the EU: a) maintaining diplomatic pressure on Russia to withdraw its troops and remove military checkpoints; b) anchor Moldova firmly in its European project by signing the Association Agreement, c) implementing the liberalized visa regime d) implementing free trade provisions smoothly and e) expand the EU’s and the Moldovan government’s interaction with the Transnistrian authorities, through joint projects, trade and people-to-people contacts. For the Moldovan government: a) to work more actively with the public, in order to explain the benefits of moving closer to the EU and the urgency to ensure national security and b) to consider dropping the neutrality status and start negotiations with NATO.
he frozen conflict in Transnistria was for a long time considered a “low-hanging fruit”, as its causes are rooted much more in the political sphere rather than in ethnic dissensions, as is the case in many other territorial disputes around the world. It was also a conflict oftentimes overlooked by the EU and NATO against the background of other burning issues, because of its prolonged status-quo and apparent no threat of immediate burst of violence. For the last several years and especially recent months, it has become apparent that the resolution of the conflict is far from simple, even when an agreement seemed to have been reached with one key player – Russia, as it happened for instance in 2010, when Chancellor Angela Merkel engaged with the issue as part of Germany’s security dialogue with Russia. As the Eastern Partnership initiative gained in speed and importance, and especially in light of the recent events in Ukraine, Transnistria finally came The map of the breakaway Transnistrian region Background Inforback into the spotlight of (Photo: The Economist) mation EU’s attention. It should be understood by anyone who is dealing with the region, Moldova’s turn towards independence at the break that an unresolved conflicts on the left bank of Dniester of the Soviet Union provoked serious tensions with its River is posing a constant security threat not only to Eastern region of Transnistria, which preferred to remain Moldova, but to the region as a whole, and is also obpart of the USSR. In 1992 a separatist war broke out, structing Moldova’s path towards European integration. splitting the Republic of Moldova in a self-proclaimed As the hitherto applied measures and negotiation tactics Transnistrian Moldovan Republic and Moldova proper, with the border along the Dniester River. Some 2600 Atlantic Voices, Volume 4, Issue 4
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