EU plans special envoy to help end Moldova strife
By Sebastian Alison

BRUSSELS, Feb 8 (Reuters) – The European Union plans to appoint a
special envoy to Moldova to help end a frozen conflict in the breakaway
Dnestr region as EU interest in the tiny ex-Soviet state picks up,
diplomats said on Tuesday.

The move signals Brussels’ desire to bring about an end to the disputed
Russian military presence in Europe’s poorest country before Moldova’s
neighbour Romania joins the EU in 2007.

“There is no doubt that there is an increase in interest and attention
in Moldova,” Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana, told Reuters. “The role of the European Union
can only be useful.”

The Dnestr region — a mainly Russian-speaking sliver of land between
the Dnestr river and Ukraine which calls itself the “Pridnestrovian
Moldavian Republic” — broke away from Moldova, which has a
Romanian-speaking majority, in 1990 as the Soviet Union was collapsing.

The two sides fought a war in 1992. Russian troops intervened to help
end the fighting and have remained there since to uphold the truce,
despite a pledge to withdraw them.

EU diplomats say political agreement has been reached to appoint an EU
Special Representative and a formal announcement is expected within
a few days. The envoy could take up the post soon after Moldovan
parliamentary elections on March 6.

The EU has no formal role so far in the Dnestr conflict, which is
under mediation by Russia, Ukraine, the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, the Moldovan government and the Dnestr
leadership.

The naming of an envoy comes as Moldova prepares to open a separate
mission to the EU for the first time. The EU’s executive Commission
will also open a permanent mission in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau,
later this year.

INCREASED EU DIPLOMACY

Following the bloc’s eastward expansion last May, when 10 mainly
ex-communist countries in central and eastern Europe joined, the EU
has stepped up diplomatic activities in several former Soviet states
which are now neighbours.

Moscow views the policy with suspicion, seeing the region — Ukraine,
Belarus, Moldova and the Caucasus republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia — as its “near abroad.” The EU says they are the “common
neighbourhood” of Brussels and Moscow.

Diplomatic tensions came to the fore last year when the EU mediated
in a dispute over the Ukrainian presidential election which led the
Supreme Court to overturn the victory of the Moscow-backed candidate,
Viktor Yanukovich, for vote-rigging.

Western-leaning Viktor Yushchenko won a re-run in December after
lengthy mediation by Solana and the presidents of EU states Poland
and Lithuania. Yushchenko has already said he intends to move Kiev
towards EU membership.

Diplomats said Yushchenko could be willing to close Ukraine’s border
with the breakaway Dnestr region to put pressure on the Russians to
reach a settlement.

An EU diplomat said closer ties with Chisinau were a priority because
Moldova would have an EU frontier from 2007. By one estimate, 600,000
Moldovans hold Romanian passports, which will give them EU citizenship
when Bucharest joins, he said.

Moldova’s communist President Vladimir Voronin was elected in 2001
vowing to take Chisinau closer to Russia. But he changed direction
and is steering the country ever closer to the EU.

02/08/05 10:48 ET