– Moldova hopes for Norwegian support, among other things, in the development of the energy sector, the education sector and when it comes to cyber security, says Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Nettavisen.
The President of Moldova is coming to Norway at the invitation of the royal house and has had talks with key politicians in the Storting and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Stay up to date on the war in Ukraine, listen to Nettavisen’s Ukrainapodden on Spotify and all other podcast platforms.
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Can’t be fooled by Putin
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Will be put to the test
Russia’s war against Ukraine casts heavy shadows over Moldova. The economy, energy supply and national security have been put to the test. Little Moldova, with just under three million inhabitants, has also received a large number of refugees from Ukraine.
Part of the message from the president during his visit to Norway is that Moldova needs help through turbulent times, help to keep democratic development on the right track, help to stand up to pressure and threats from Russia and help to improve the conditions for its citizens in what is one of Europe’s poorest country.
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– Important for the entire region
During a seminar organized by the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (NUPI) on Tuesday, Sandu spoke about challenges related to the development of democracy and stability and security in the small country that borders Romania in the west and Ukraine in the east. She also spoke about the challenges in the breakaway republic of Transnistria, where Russia is present both with soldiers and other instruments.
– Our stability is important not only for Moldovans, but for the entire region, is Sandu’s claim. Among other things, she points to the 1,222 kilometer long border with Ukraine and says the outcome of Russia’s warfare may play a major role in further development.
– Putin will not stop, if no one stops him. We know his lack of respect for national borders. Among other things, from the Kremlin we can hear claims that Moldova does not exist as a country.
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Russia’s Hybrid War
Sandu told how Russia still has soldiers stationed in Transnistria and how they experience Russia’s hybrid war where large money transfers to the breakaway republic are part of the game.
To the question of whether the Transnistria conflict must be resolved before Moldova can join the EU, Sandu replied that insisting on such an order would give Putin control.
At the same time, she emphasized that Moldova does not want war, but a peaceful solution.
– We take it step by step, said the president.
Maia Sandu
Maia Sandu (born 1972) is the President of Moldova since 24 December 2020.
In 2019, she was prime minister for five months. She also has a background as Minister of Education.
Sandu is a social economist. She has studied management subjects and international relations in Chișinău and she has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University in the state of Massachusetts in the USA.
In the presidential election in November 2020, Sandu was elected with 57.8 percent of the vote in the second round of voting.
In the parliamentary elections in 2021, the PAS party, founded by Maia Sandu, won a clear majority.
Since then, the government and the president have stood together in the work for EU membership. In 2022, Moldova achieved candidate status in the EU, together with Ukraine.
Source: Great Norwegian Lexicon
Aiming for EU membership
At the NUPI meeting, she was asked whether Moldova’s neutrality could be changed as a result of the war in Ukraine, as happened in Finland and Sweden. She replied that there is an increase in the proportion who say they want Moldova to join NATO, but that there is no majority. She also pointed out that the defense alliance is exposed to massive Russian propaganda in Moldova.
On the issue of EU enlargement, however, the president is quite clear in his speech:
– The EU is our survival strategy.
To Norway with a wish list
In Norway, Sandu and her entourage have, among other things, had meetings at the Storting with Storting president Masud Gharahkhani and the foreign affairs committee chaired by Ine Eriksen Søreide. There have also been visits to the Castle where Sandu greeted the royal family.
Nettavisen asked Sandu what a country like Norway can contribute to help Moldova on the right path forward in terms of both democracy, security and stability.
Sandu replied that she hopes, among other things, for Norway’s support to develop the energy sector, the education sector and to strengthen Moldova in terms of cyber security.
Tags: Moldova Ukraine Moldovas president Norway Putin stop stops
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