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Books on Moldova
REPUBLICAN REFERENCE
Area (sq.km)
33,843
Population
4,439,502
Principal
ethnic groups
Moldovans 64.5%
Ukrainians 13.8%
Russians 13.0%
Capital
Kishinev
(Chisinau)
Currency
Leu (plural: Lei)
President
Vladimir Voronin
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Update No: 284 - (27/08/04)
Transdniestrian leader against any unification with Moldova
Moldova is having continuing problems with its TransDniestrian 'autonomous
republic.' Actually to employ this common usage under communism of a component
region or province with a predominant ethnic minority or minorities is
appropriate in this case.
Tirasopl is closing down Moldovan schools and blocking railways to indicate its
separateness ahead of another round of negotiations about its status. The leader
of the self-proclaimed TransDniestrian Moldovan Republic, Igor Smirnov, has
spoken in favour of continuing negotiations on the republic's status in the
five-sides format, including TranDniestria, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, and the
OSCE, but said the matter is not about unification.
When meeting with members of non-government organizations recently, Smirnov said
that "it is just impossible to imagine any unification between the
TransDniestrian Moldovan Republic and Moldova. We have moved so far away from
Moldova in all spheres that even if some unification took place now, this would
not last long," he said.
"It is simply out of the question that the ultimate goal of the settlement
process could be subordinate status within Moldova for TransDniestria. We are
prepared to negotiate on normalizing relations between the TransDniestrian
Moldovan Republic and Moldova," the Tiraspol leader added.
He accused Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin of trying to resolve his election
problems "by escalating the tensions in the TransDniestrian area."
Elections to parliament, which elect the president, are due in March next year.
"Transdniestria is prepared for any developments, and if Chisinau ventures
an armed aggression, it will meet a proper response," Smirnov said.
TransDniestr restive
The Dniester region has been using the usual expedient of an aggressive power
that it is being provoked into this by the other side. It has begun mobilization
measures "in view of the growing threat of an intrusion by Moldova,"
sources in the government of the self-proclaimed republic have told the press.
The offices of military commissars have been checking the lists of reservists
liable to military service, sorting them by arms and services and attaching to
military units. Several thousand draft-age men are to be summoned for military
retraining courses within days.
Chisinau denies the charges
In the meantime, the Moldovan leadership has emphatically denied any intention
to put pressure on the Dniester Region, saying this is "military hysteria
in the press Tiraspol has triggered in an attempt to scare the population of the
Dniester Region."
"Claims in the mass media the Moldovan army has been holding military
exercises near the Dniester Region are disinformation and can be easily refuted
by military observers at the joint military command of the Russian-Moldovan-Dniestrian
peace-keeping force and OSCE officials," Moldova's Defense Minister Viktor
Gaichyuk has said.
"In the current uneasy situation involving the problem of Moldovan schools
in the Dniester Region there are no aspects capable of drawing the military's
attention," he said.
Moldovan presidential internal policies adviser, Mark Tkachyuk in an interview
with Tass dismissed as "falsehoods and provocations" claims by
Dniester Region mass media to the effect President Vladimir Voronin had left the
country on vacation to shirk the responsibility for an act of aggression
Moldovan law enforcers and military were preparing for.
The Moldovan president, who was vacationing at the Czech health resort Karlovy
Vary at the time "is closely monitoring the situation in the country,"
Tkachyuk said. "Voronin holds daily long-distance conferences and hearing
reports by government officials on the situation in the country following the
decision by the authorities in Tiraspol to close down Moldovan schools and block
railways."
World Bank, IMF to consider economic growth strategy for Moldova
The boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund will
consider a final draft of the national Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction
Strategy for Moldova on August 30 and September 8, respectively, Moldovan
Economy Minister Marian Lupu said.
The World Bank board of directors will also consider a mid-term support program
for Moldova for 2004-2006.
"The minimal size of support the World Bank will provide for Moldova to
help it put investment projects included in the Economic Growth and Poverty
Reduction Strategy into practice is estimated at US$90 million, with the
possibility of raising this figure to US$130 million-US$140 million [after
additional talks]," the minister said.
The World Bank will allocate US$90m to Moldova over the next three years to
implement investment projects, Moldovan Economy Minister Marian Lupu declared at
a news conference in Chisinau, Moldova. According to him, if the republic's
strategy of economic growth and decreasing the poverty level is implemented
successfully, Moldova may get up to US$150m.
The minister specified that the received resources would be invested in
developing agriculture, social assistance, education, infrastructure, support to
small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time Lupu admitted that if the
volume of finances was increased, some funds would be used to cover a budget
deficit.
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FINANCIAL NEWS
Moldova reports increase in foreign investment
Moldova attracted US$32m in foreign direct investment in the first quarter of
2004, up by 68 per cent on the same period last year, Moldova One television
reported.
Russia was the top investor, accounting for 25 per cent of the total figure and
followed by Spain, the USA, Holland, Switzerland, Germany and Romania. The
energy sector and water companies attracted 35 per cent of the FDI, processing
industry 27 per cent, trade 16 per cent and transport and communications 12.4
per cent. Companies with foreign capital account for 30 per cent of Moldova's
exports and 23 per cent of imports, the TV said.
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FOOD & DRINK
Comrat winery for sale
The Department of Privatisation announced recently a privatisation through
tender of the Vinuri de Comrat winery, Infotag reported.
On offer is the 21.94% stake in the company whose statutory capital is currently
estimated at 9.37m lei. So far, only one winery, Nis-Struguras, has been
privatised in this way. Its buyer - DP-Intertrade - took the company over for
US$1.75m, supplemented by another US$5.1m put in production development and
planting 300ha of vineyards. On top of that, the new proprietor promised to lend
the Nisporeni administration US$200,000 (interest-free) for a gas installation
programme. An attempt to sell off an 88.8% stake in another Moldovan winery
Cojusna ended in failure; the only bidder - Vinar-Zimbreni - failed to satisfy
the tender requirements.
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FOREIGN LOANS & AID
World Bank to allocate US$90m to Moldova
The World Bank will allocate US$90m to Moldova over the next 3 years to
implement investment projects, said Moldovan Economy Minister, Marian Lupu, at a
news conference in Chisinau recently, Interfax News Agency reported.
He said Moldova may get up to US$150m, if the republic's strategy of economic
growth and decreasing the poverty level is implemented successfully. The
minister said that the received resources would be invested in developing
agriculture, social assistance, education, infrastructure, support to small- and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Lupu admitted that if the volume of finances
was increased, some funds would be used to cover a budget deficit. The boards of
the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have considered a final draft
of the national Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy for Moldova, Lupu
said.
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