VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCH #0052/01 0291534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY-ADX1842F9-MSI6111-413)
O 291534Z JAN 10 ZFR ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8818
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS CHISINAU 000052 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (FORMAT CHANGES ONLY) 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON PINR RO MD
SUBJECT: Romanian President Basescu's Visit Underlines Shift in 
Bilateral Relations 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  In a January 27-28 visit to Moldova, Romanian 
President Traian Basescu offered 100 Million Euros of assistance for 
the country's infrastructure and promised to provide support for the 
energy sector.  Several agreements were signed, including a joint 
declaration of cooperation between the two Interior Ministries and 
an agreement on cooperation between the two Justice Ministries. 
However, Basescu sent a mixed message on Romania's respect for 
Moldova's independence when he also stressed Romania's commitment to 
granting Romanian citizenship to Moldovans, and said that Romania 
would never sign a border treaty with Moldova.  While many Moldovans 
welcomed Basescu's visit, the opposition Party of Communists of the 
Republic of Moldova (PCRM) blasted the new Government of Moldova 
(GOM) for pursuing a pro-Romanian policy.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Improved Moldovan-Romanian Relations 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) The January 27-28 visit of Romanian President Traian Basescu 
to Moldova was a clear indication of how dramatically Moldova's new 
Alliance for European Integration (AIE) government has improved 
bilateral relations between the two countries.  The Romanian 
President arrived with a major delegation, including ten ministers, 
and met with Acting President Mihai Ghimpu, Prime Minister Vlad 
Filat, Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, AIE leaders, and 
parliamentary factions, among others.  Basescu also was awarded 
Moldova's prestigious Republican Order and participated in diverse 
cultural events, including laying flowers at the graves of famous 
Moldovans (including Acting President Ghimpu's brother, Gheorghe 
Ghimpu) in the Central Cemetery in Chisinau. 
 
Romania to Give 100 Million Euros in Aid 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Upon his arrival in Chisinau on January 27, Basescu thanked 
Moldovans for supporting him in Romania's December presidential 
elections.  "The votes cast by the Moldovans who hold Romanian 
nationality were very important for the outcome of the elections," 
he said.  Basescu also announced that Romania would offer Moldova 
100 million Euros in non-repayable financial assistance from 2010 to 
¶2013.  These funds will be disbursed in four equal yearly 
installments of 25 million Euros each.  According to Basescu, the 
assistance will be used for local community projects, such as 
modernizing schools and restoring local infrastructure. 
 
Moldova to Link to Romanian Electric Grid 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) On January 27, Basescu said that one of the major Romanian 
projects for Moldova was the Falciu-Gotesti 110 kW power line, which 
could become operational by the end of 2010.  He stated that Romania 
had built 28.3 km of the power line on its territory, and that work 
on the Moldovan side would be completed by the end of 2010, at which 
time, he said, Moldova's energy system would be connected with the 
Romanian electrical system and, implicitly, with the EU.  Basescu 
also said that a project to connect the gas transportation system 
"Drochia-Ungheni-Iasi" would be implemented under the 
Moldovan-Romanian neighborhood policy. 
 
Other Deliverables 
------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) Basescu's visit produced several other deliverables. 
Moldovan Minister of Interior Victor Catan and his Romanian 
counterpart, Vasile Blaga, signed a joint declaration of cooperation 
on combating of trafficking and organized crime.  Moldovan Minister 
of Justice Alexandru Tanase and his Romanian counterpart, Catalin 
Predoiu, also agreed that Romania would help Moldova establish a 
system of private bailiffs. 
 
¶6. (U) On January 28, Basescu also visited the site of the new 
Romanian consulate in Cahul, which he said would be opened in two to 
three weeks.  (Note:  Basescu's unfortunate slip of the tongue that 
he was going to visit "Kabul" (instead of "Cahul") received quite a 
bit of bemused press coverage. End Note.) 
 
Mixed Messages on Citizenship and Independence? 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7. (SBU) In Chisinau, Basescu also announced that his government 
would adopt by the end of the week a regulatory act to speed up the 
process of providing Romanian citizenship for Moldovans.  Basescu 
said that the new Government of Romania (GOR) agency for regaining 
Romanian citizenship would open five offices in Romania along the 
Moldovan border, where Moldovans could file their application 
requests for citizenship.  According to the Romanian President, 
before 2008, only 2,400 Moldovans had received Romanian citizenship; 
however, after new provisions were adopted last year, 20,000 
requests had been processed and 14,000 people had already received 
Romanian citizenship.  Basescu stated that the GOR's new citizenship 
agency could process 100,000 to 150,000 requests per year, and 
pledged that the Romanian MFA would process all of the unprocessed 
applications submitted before the law was amended.  (Note: In 
previous statements last year, Basescu suggested that Romania had 
received between 800,000 and one million passport applications. End 
Note.) 
 
¶8. (U) While Basescu announced that an agreement on small 
cross-border traffic would take effect March 31, he vowed that 
Bucharest would never sign a border demarcation treaty with Moldova. 
He said that Romania had recognized the borders after the breakup 
of the USSR, and therefore, was ready to negotiate on how to 
"manage" the border, but not willing to formally demarcate the 
border line.  "I will never sign a treaty to confirm what Stalin and 
Hitler signed", he stated. 
 
¶9. (U) In addition, some of the several hundred Moldovans who 
welcomed Basescu at a ceremony laying flowers at the monument to 
Stephan the Great on January 27 chanted or waved placards with 
slogans such as, "Union!", "Basescu is with Us!", "Basescu - the 
President of Romania and Moldova", "We Want You to Become our 
President!", and "Remove the Border at the Prut!". 
 
PCRM Criticizes Romania's Policies 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) The visit, which was covered in a positive manner by the 
majority of media, was sharply criticized by the PCRM.  Communist 
press statements blasted the Romanian authorities for their failure 
to recognize "the Moldovan people's right to self-determination", 
for refusing to sign a border agreement with Moldova, and for their 
alleged belief that Moldova's independence was a temporary 
phenomenon.  The PCRM also blamed Basescu for supporting the 
organizers of and participants in the April 2009 parliamentary 
election protests which resulted in violence.  For example, PCRM 
heavyweight  Mark Tkaciuk referred to Basescu as "a criminal who 
returns to the scene of the crime".  In addition, the PCRM faction 
leader was conspicuously absent from a January 27 meeting of 
Moldovan parliamentary group leaders with Basescu. 
 
¶11. (SBU) President Basescu's visit to Moldova demonstrated the 
dramatic improvement in the tone of Moldovan-Romanian relations 
produced by Moldova's transition from the PCRM-led government of 
former President Voronin to the new Alliance-led government.  Both 
governments see Moldova's governmental transition as providing a new 
opportunity for rapprochement and cooperation. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Support for improved relations with Romania is not 
universal in Moldova, however, as the Communists and their 
supporters remained critical of Romania and the Romanian President. 
Though many Moldovans welcome Basescu's promise to facilitate the 
granting of Romanian citizenship (and thus a Romanian passport which 
allows travel in the European Union), the Communists attacked 
Basescu for facilitating the emigration of Moldovan citizens and for 
undermining Moldovan statehood.  Basescu's refusal to sign a border 
treaty also allows critics to question Romania's recognition of 
Moldova's independence.  (Note: At a formal January 27 state dinner 
- attended by GOM officials and foreign ambassadors - Basescu 
emphasized that Romanians and Moldovans shared a common history, 
language, and blood, but did twice state that he recognized 
Moldova's sovereignty and independence. End Note.) 
 
CHAUDHRY