Moldova: Small country with big geopolitical role

Transcript:Moldova: Small country with big geopolitical role:
Moldova: Small country with big geopolitical role Monika Begovic PhD International Conference, Chisinau, Moldova 28 November 2016 New geopolitical challenges Interests of great powers in today’s world create a more challenging environment for small countries (small powers?)  Consequence: Small countries need to keep options open and to balance multiple relationships; Their attractiveness depends on strategic considerations of great powers New geopolitical challenges Moldova is a small state  Why is it so important for Russia, EU, but also USA? Moldova is a small but strategic country located in the European borderlands - strategically important buffer zone between East and West; It is an important component of the relations between Moscow and the West; Moldova today is in the ‘grey zone’ between Western (EU and NATO) and Russian influence Both Russia (East) and the European Union (West) have long competed for influence in Moldova New geopolitical challenges Moldova and its geopolitical role: there’s still an ongoing competition between Russia and the West over the part of the territory of the former Soviet Union the whole geopolitical space of the former Soviet Union was considered significant due to the transportation of oil and gas  Moldova matters as a transit point for the movement of oil and natural gas from Russia into Europe and Turkey Moldova: proximity to the strategic Ukrainian port of Odessa and to the Russia-controlled Crimean Peninsula, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is stationed Geopolitical challenges - Russia Role of Russia: Russia's strong military presence in the breakaway territory of Transdniestria and in pro-Russia pockets of Moldovan territory (Gaguzia) give Moscow significant leverage Geopolitical implications Russia doesn’t want Moldova to orientate towards the West - Russia needs to preserve a buffer zone between itself and NATO Moscow retains a strong presence in Moldova's financial sector – media report that roughly 70% of Moldova's banking sector is controlled by Russian capital Geopolitical implications Transnistria After the annexation of the Crimea by Russia in March 2014 the head of the Transnistrian parliament asked to join the Russian Federation Geopolitical challenges - West Role of the West: the country has(d) pro-Western orientation: relations with NATO through PfP – no plans to join due to Moldova’s neutrality striving for EU membership  relations between Moldova and the EU are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), an EU foreign policy instrument dealing with countries bordering its member states Moldova & EU