... Mission to Moldova; Kevin Tait, representative of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna; and Leo Vass, Second Secretary of the Swedish Embassy in Russia. In the course of the meeting the sides discussed state and prospects of the Transdniestrian settlement, Russia-Moldova relations, as well as some general challenges of interaction between Russia and the European Union at the present stage.
... contrast to Moldova, where no noticeable change has taken place in Transnistria since 1992.
This situation is paradoxical because a rapprochement between Moscow and Chisinau could confer many strategic advantages on the Kremlin. In this respect, better Russian-Moldovan relations would thus hinder any possible advance of the European Union and NATO in Molodva, and could also force Ukraine to reconsider its diplomatic approach vis-à-vis the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Moreover, the strengthening of military ...
... (officially allies of Turkey) are concerned about Russia and Turkey forming a kind of “Eurasian Alliance.”
Alexander Yermakov:
Challenges to Eurasian Security in the Coming Decade
The case of Kosovo described above is not so simple. Paradoxically, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania and Moldova all share the same position when it comes to not recognizing the independence of the former Serbian Autonomous Province. Yet, their views on ethnopolitical conflicts in the former Soviet countries are diametrically opposed. And herein lies the ...
... agreement between the Moldovan and Transnistrian elite, Transnistria’s relations with Romania and Russia’s eagerness to maintain the status quo both economically and in terms of its presence in the unrecognized territory. The latter factor is debatable: Russia and Moldova are already discussing the possibility of withdrawing Russian ammunition from Transnistria. This process could take several years, after which Russia would find it hard to justify the presence of its troops in the region. International pressure ...
...
Transnistria can be described as a textbook post-Soviet example of a frozen, unresolved conflict. The territory is entering the new decade with its status still unrecognized, which complicates economic and social development; it is in a diplomatic dispute with Moldova over the presence of a small Russian peacekeeping force on its soil and its relations with Ukraine have worsened owing to the latter’s contradictions with Russia.
Unlike the other long-standing conflicts, however, the probability of the Transnistria situation escalating into an ...
... periphery, without involving their resources. We see this in the open conflict in the Donbass, when passionate radicals find no outlet for their energy at home and are willing to take part in military gambles in a neighbouring state. Take, for instance, Moldova, where the outcome of the people’s political choice depends on who supports the candidate, Russia or Europe. In Georgia, success in domestic politics also largely depends on the elite’s foreign political preferences. Buffer countries have chosen a zero-sum game strategy, betting on one player only and thus putting themselves in a more vulnerable ...
... Kozak Memorandum. In particular, Dodon has stated that the final draft of the settlement is to be approved through a national referendum, rather than by a theory-based decision. He also believes the draft document will have to be a compromise between Moldova, Transnistria, Russia, the European Union, the United States and Ukraine. Finally, Dodon is not fixated on the idea of federalization which, after 2003, became toxic in Moldova because it is associated with the notion of pro-Russian Transnistria and Gagauzia receiving ...
... journalists and anyone interested in studying the future and analysing long-term global trends.
The opinions presented in these articles reflect the personal views and research positions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Russian International Aairs Council.
RIAC scientific and editorial support:
I. Timofeev, Ph.D. in Political Science; T. Makmutov, Ph.D. in Political Science; I. Sorokina, M. Smekalova, R. Mayka; with participation of D. Khaspekova and N. Mukhin.
... of integration processes in the post-Soviet space, discussions on whether the CIS has exhausted its potential are still underway. RIAC experts share their insights into the challenges facing the CIS and its prospects with the editorial board of the Russian International Affairs Council.
Russia's presidency of the CIS: What are our goals?
Irina Bolgova
, PhD in History, Post-Soviet Studies Center at the MGIMO University, RIAC Expert
Russia’s presidency of the CIS in 2017 will prioritize a number ...
... Chisinau is interested in preventing a showdown with Moscow. This is due, firstly, to the existence of a broadly pro-Russian electorate (those who vote for the left do so to a large extent because they want to see an improvement in relations between Russia and Moldova)
[14]
, and secondly, to the wish to prevent an aggravation of relations with Gagaúzia, which is in favour of Eurasian integration
[15]
. Even so, the steady pro-European and “unionist” stance would not allow any, even a hypothetical ...
