Moldova’s Prime Minister left no doubt recently that a closure integration with Europe is the only path he sees for the former Soviet Republic. Pavel Filip made the comments while on in Brussels this week for talks on reforms Moldova agreed to implement as part of a trade and political agreement with the European Union signed in 2014, and about plans to open a NATO liaison office in the Moldovan capital Chisinau, reports Reuters.
“Our EU road is priority one…This is the priority for both me and my colleagues, and we are only heading in one direction. This is an assurance that I wanted to make to all my counterparts here in Brussels.”
Moldova’s president, Igor Dodon, is in a struggle with Filip as he pushes to break the tiny country’s pact with the EU and replace it with a trade pact with the Russian economic block Putin is attempting to create with former Soviet republics. Dodon recently instigated the process for a new snap election which would increase his power and reduce that of parliament.
“I can understand what Dodon is doing but I don’t think it’s right,” Filip said. “I think he’s only using this position to pump up his image.”
Moldova’s pro-EU factions have been hampered by a massive theft of Moldovan treasury assets that many accuse of ending up in Russia. However, the scandal has hurt the image of the Western-oriented factions and gave Russia a political opening. Analysts accuse Russia of interfering in the internal politics of Europe’s poorest country.
