VZCZCXRO1171
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHCH #0369 0931207
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021207Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6516
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000369 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MD
SUBJECT: NEW MOLDOVAN CABINET: FEW CHANGES, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON 
ECONOMIC REFORM 
 
REFTEL: CHISINAU 324 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michael D. Kirby, for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
¶1. (C) This contains an information request for Embassy London. 
Please see para. 5. 
 
¶2. (C) Summary:  The new 20-member Moldovan cabinet of Prime Minister 
Zinaida Greceanii, approved by Parliament on March 31, contains 14 
holdovers from the Tarlev administration, five new ministers in 
established positions, and one minister in a new ministry.  The new 
cabinet appears to have shed some dead wood, while promoting 
technocrats who have been effective economic reformers.  There are 
five women in the cabinet, in addition to the PM.  End summary. 
 
Useful Old Hands Staying On 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) The old and steady hands who have stayed on are Minister of 
Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Stratan, Minister of 
Justice Vitalie Pirlog, Minister of Defense Vitalie Vrabie, Minister 
of Reintegration Vasile Sova, Minister of Social Protection, Family 
and Child Galina Balmos, Gagauz Governor Mihail Formuzal (ex 
officio), and Minister of Economics and trade Igor Dodon, who was 
also promoted to First Deputy Prime Minister.  We have had close and 
fruitful working relations with all of them.  Mr. Dodon, and the new 
Prime Minister, have cooperated closely with us on economic and 
financial reform; Dodon's promotion to First Deputy Prime Minister 
indicates that the new government will give a high priority to 
deregulating the economy, removing barriers, such as corruption, to 
investment, and cooperating with us on Millennium Challenge 
Corporation reforms. 
 
Replacements-Interior and Info Development Important 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4. (C) The important news on replacements is the changeover at the 
Ministry of Interior, where the powerful Gheorghe Papuc, who has 
proved difficult to approach and work with, has been replaced by 
Valentin Mejinschi, former head of the Center for Combating Economic 
Crimes and Corruption.  Another welcome loss is that of former 
Minister of Information Development Vladimir Molojen, a former KGB 
general and crony of President Voronin; he has been replaced by Pavel 
Buceatchi, who moves up from Vice Minister at Information 
Development.  The changeover from Victor Tvircun to Larisa Savga 
(another economic specialist) at the Ministry of Education and Sport 
is not an important change.  The replacement of Ion Ababi by 
physician Larisa Catrinici as Minister of Health is something of a 
disappointment; we had fruitful relations with Ababi.  (However, 
Ababi was eager to return to academia and he likely asked to step 
down.)  Holdover Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Violeta 
Ivanov has been in office only since February 26, when her 
predecessor Constantin Mihailescu was sacked for corruption.  Heading 
a new ministry, that of Construction and Territorial Development, is 
Vladimir Baldovici, an otherwise unknown company director. 
 
Durlesteanu from Court of St. James to Finance 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (C) New Minister of Finance Mariana Durlesteanu, who replaced 
Mihai Pop, was Moldova's Ambassador to the U.K.  Post would 
appreciate information about her attitudes, opinions, and ways of 
working, if Embassy London has had any contact with her. 
 
Holdovers with Less Impact 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Others who have stayed on have made less of a reformist 
impact, and have not played an important role in our bilateral 
relationship:  Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Anatolii 
Gorodenco, Minister of Transport and Road Management Vasile Ursu, 
Minister of Culture Artur Cozma, Chairman of the Academy of Science 
Gheorghe Duca (ex officio), and Minister of Local Public 
Administration Valentin Guznac. 
 
¶7. (C)  Comment:  Like the Prime Minister herself (reftel), the 
cabinet appears to be a group of steady technocrats, who, President 
Voronin told the Ambassador in an April 2 meeting, have a mandate to 
improve economic conditions for Moldovans before the 2009 
parliamentary elections.  End comment. 
 
Kirby