ROMANIA’S ACTIONS REVEAL TRUE COLORS OF "THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP"
Pyotr ISKENDEROV
en.fondsk.ru
Ð~^rbis Terrarum
18.04.2009
The European Union officers in Brussels announced the 7th of May as
a momentous day not only for the European Union but for the whole our
continent. They did it in advance looking forward to the inauguration
of "the Eastern partnership" which is to be held in Prague on this very
day. The Eastern partnership program implies financial assistance to
six countries of the former Soviet Union (Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Moldova and Belarus) as well as liberalizing visa regimes
for the countries’ citizens.
Amid the current economic problems and the EU’s failing to work out
sound principles for itself this program is another option for the EU
to prove its competence (while the prospects of adopting the Lisbon
agreement are still vague). But "the Eastern partnership" has more
serious intentions. It is an attempt of the Western world to change
the existing geopolitical situation on the territory of the former
Soviet Union by spreading its financial and diplomatic control over
six states of the CIS and forcing Russia out of this area.
How efficient these financial assistance to the East European
countries will be – this question is quite interesting and of course
controversial. Considering hot disputes around the financing of
the EU’s "sacred cow" – the Nabucco gas pipeline project – it seems
unlikely that European tax payers would be happy to spend hundred
millions euro on supporting Ukraine with its permanent political
crisis or Georgia preparing for its military revanche.
However the EU has already started to take some of its measures
in Moldova.
The EU’s position in connection with the recent dramatic events in this
republic, which is neighboring Romania, is very illustrative. It shows
how cynical the EU and its country-members can be when it comes to
the introduction of the Eastern partnership, where the CIS countries
are destined to play the role younger brothers" and be the objects
of ethno-political assimilation and other geopolitical experiments.
They expected Romania to explain its intervention into the internal
affairs of Moldova and Romanian president Traian Basescu gave his
explanations and did it even in accordance with the rules of drama
acting – he was speaking from the scaffold in the national parliament,
in a live television broadcast, while the chronicle of rallies and
disorder in Chisinau (Moldova’s capital) was shown on the background.
The picture was intended to form the public opinion that Moldova’s
president Vladimir Voronin and his government are trying to suppress
the rightful fight of Romanian nationals in Moldova for freedom and
happy future as part of Romania and the EU.
The speech of Romanian president Traian Basescu deserves memorizing
alongside with the famous Fulton speech of British prime-minister
Winston Churchill or the words of US president Ronald Reagan, who
called USSR "the Evil Empire".
"When Moldova is in trouble we cannot stand on the sidelines. Romania
and Moldova share the same history, culture, language, they were
as one before the fascist Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact separated them",
with these pathetic words he started his speech on the situation in
Moldova. Reminding that his country observes the UN Statute and the
final act of Helsinki agreement, the Romanian leader promised that his
country would "provide help to all citizens of Moldova, who needed it".
The first step is making urgent amendments in the law
on citizenship. According to Basescu, Moldova citizens are the
descendants of those who lived on this territory before 1940 (when
Moldova was part of Romania) have the right to get the citizenship of
Romania. "Everyone who has the right to get the Romanian citizenship
should really have such opportunity. These residents on the left bank
of the Prut river should be under protection of Romania and the EU".
The Romanian president rapidly condemned the acts of violence and
destruction was surprised with the fact that the Moldovan police
which was obliged to prevent such acts did not secure the state
institutions’ buildings and let the demonstrators in. But it is also
easy to imagine how more emotional the speech of Basescu would be if
the Moldova’s authorities had used the whole arsenal of their means
against the demonstrators. Anyway even what happened was enough for
the Romanian leader to accuse Chisinau authorities of violation of
human rights and freedom of speech. "I call for the establishment of
the commission under the sponsorship of the European organizations
to investigate the events in Moldova", Basescu said.
The accents in the message of the Romanian president were put very
clearly which is quite surprising. At the parliamentary elections held
on April 5 almost 50% of voters in Moldova voted for the Communist
party of Vladimir Voronin, which in fact marked the triumph of
totalitarianism. "The young should know that future belongs to them and
totalitarian communistic regime belongs to the past. It is a matter
for regret that Moldova’s authorities are pulling the country back
to the Soviet past", stated president Basescu and openly supported
the participants of Chisinau rallies. He said his country would not
agree with the fact that "the Romanians on the other bank of the Prut
river are being humiliated fighting against the hostile regime".
The intention of the Moldova government to introduce visa regime for
Romania, which was sending its people to support the demonstrators,
was called "the creation of the new Iron Curtain between the banks of
the Prut river". However Moldavians still have to get visa to go to
Romania. It is when Romania is acting as "a free-of-charge advocate
for Moldova’s entering the EU", according to Basescu.
It is enough for quotations. The dramatic events in Moldova on April
6-8 became the first test for the Eastern partnership in terms of
the EU’s readiness to provide real help to its partners. This test
reveals the true colors p.
The intervention into domestic affairs of the sovereign country,
which citizens reject their right for democratic choice, labeling,
approval and even support off acts of violence and all this for
the sight of participants of these rallies with the EU flags –
these were the methods the EU (the statements of the EU officers
were similar to the statements of Basescu) plans to promote its
interests on the Post Soviet territories. Is Russia ready to oppose
this policy? Up-to-date Russia’s position on the territory of the CIS’
countries (namely in Russian geopolitical area) has not been active,
fundamental and consistent.