FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Moldova's
Parliament approved the country's membership in the Commonwealth
of Independent States and a CIS charter on economic union in April
1994.
In 1995,
the country became the first former Soviet republic admitted to
the Council of Europe. In addition to its membership in NATO's
Partnership for Peace, Moldova also belongs to the United Nations,
the OSCE, the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the International
Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development. Moldova is a member of the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
In 1998, Moldova contributed to the founding of GUAM, a regional cooperative agreement made up of Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, in addition to Moldova. Although the agreement initially included a declaration of mutual defense, Moldova has since declared its disinterest in participating in any GUAM-based mutual defense initiative. Moldova has been involved in information exchange, trade and transportation, border control, and energy projects issues within this regional agreement. In 2006, the organization's members voted to change the name to the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM.
The past two years have seen significant developments in Moldova's relations with the West. In 2005, the European Union appointed a Special Representative for Moldova and the negotiations to resolve the Transnistrian conflict and the Delegation of the European Commission opened an office in Chisinau, In December 2005, Moldova welcomed an EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) along its Ukrainian border to crack down on smuggling, strengthen customs procedures and facilitate cross-border cooperation. In accordance with a 2005 Action Plan with the EU, Moldova has begun to harmonize Moldova's laws with those of the EU. As part of this, in late 2005, Moldova enacted its "Guillotine" laws, which slashed unnecessary business regulations, established a framework for relations between the private sector and government and created a mechanism to review the suitability of draft legislation.
In the
atmosphere of heightened international sensitivity to terrorism
following the events of September 11, 2001, Moldova has been a
supporter of American efforts to increase international cooperation
in combating terrorism. Moldova has sent demining units and peacekeepers
to participate in post-conflict humanitarian assistance in Iraq.
U.S.-MOLDOVAN
RELATIONS
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 brought an end to the Cold War and created the opportunity to build bilateral relations with the 15 new states that had made up the former U.S.S.R., as they began political and economic transformation. The United States recognized the independence of Moldova on December 25, 1991 and opened an Embassy in its capital, Chisinau, in March 1992. The current U.S. Ambassador to Moldova, Michael Kirby, arrived at post on September 1, 2006.
A trade
agreement providing reciprocal most-favored-nation tariff treatment
became effective in July 1992. An Overseas Private Investment
Corporation agreement, which encourages U.S. private investment
by providing direct loans and loan guarantees, was signed in June
1992. A bilateral investment treaty was signed in April 1993.
Generalized system of preferences status was granted in August
1995, and some Eximbank coverage became available in November
1995.
In 2006, the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation approved Moldova's $24.7 million Threshold Country Plan to combat corruption. The MCC also ruled that Moldova is eligible to apply for full compact assistance, and the Moldovan Government submitted its compact proposal in 2008.
DEFENSE AND MILITARY ISSUES
Moldova has accepted all relevant arms control obligations of the former Soviet Union. On October 30, 1992, Moldova ratified the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment and provides for the destruction of weapons in excess of those limits. It acceded to the provisions of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in October 1994 and to the Biological Weapons Convention in December 2004. It does not have nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. Moldova joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace on March 16, 1994. Due to Moldova's constitutional neutrality, it is not a participant in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS--a group of 12 former Soviet republics) Collective Security Agreement.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--Michael D. Kirby
Deputy Chief of Mission--Kelly Keiderling
Consular Officer--David Franz
Management Officer--Stanislas Parmentier
Political/Economic Officers--Daria Fane, Ernest Abisellan, Michael Mates
Public Affairs Officer--John Balian
Regional Security Officer--Cameron Burks
USAID Officer--John Starnes
The U.S. Embassy in Moldova is at Strada Alexei Mateevici #103, Chisinau (tel: 373-22-40-83-00/23-37-72; fax: 373-22-23-30-44)
