Posted on 12/11/2005 6:13:47 PM PST by jb6
Noteworthy for experts, Moldavian President Vladimir Voronin recently got into a quite unexpected public conflict with Traian Basescu, President of Romania, the country the Moldavian authorities regard as their closest ally. The conflict was unexpected as Basescu just reiterated that their states are both Romanian, a traditional belief with Romania, which Voronin suddenly disproved by saying that most people in Moldavia consider themselves Moldavians.
Asked by REGNUM to comment on the historical context of the conflict, President of the Institute for Eurasian Studies Valery Tursunov says: "Romania's “imperial” ambitions with respect to Moldova and likewise Northern Bukovyna and Transylvania are no news — first of all for Moldavia itself. At the moment when Moldavia emerged on the globe as an independent state (Aug 1991) Romania proclaimed a policy of "exclusive and privileged' relations between “the two Romanian states” and began building up efforts to form common economic and spiritual space.
This all comes from the Romanians' glaring denial of the very existence of the Moldavian nation and the independent Moldavian language. Romania is convinced of the frailty of independent Moldavia, once “torn off” the mythical Great Romania by the imperial Russia (1912) and the Soviet Union (1940).
To this end, Bucharest has got into active political dialogue with Chisinau on all levels. They have formed inter-department and inter-parliamentary commissions for coordinating foreign and home policies and economic activities and even a governmental fund for developing bilateral trade-economic and humanitarian ties.
On its way to reunification Bucharest has been getting from small steps to big strides by allocating big money for the Moldavian media, cultural and educational facilities, by providing Moldavian students with training opportunities in Romanian high schools, by making it a piece of cake for Moldavians to get Romanian citizenship. Experts says that 300,000-500,000 Moldavians have got Romanian passports since early 1990s. In one word, there is a latent anschluss, secret (and not so very secret!) takeover of Moldavia and its people by Romania.
Only once — for a short while in late 1990s — did Romania have to restrain its integrationist ardor just to be able to start its talks on membership in NATO and the EU that required legal regulation of relations with neighbors. In April 2000, Romania and Moldavia even initialed a political treaty on delimitation of the Romanian-Moldavian state border, which Romania never ratified availing itself of the victory of the Communist Party in Moldavia and the tolerance of the West. Other reasons aside, it was all but beneficial for the country to mention any reunification with Moldavia to the West, while there was a deadlock of Transdnestr. But Basescu and Co. who came to power in Nov-Dec 2004 proclaimed a priority of Moldavia for Romania. Voronin was not against it. Now Romania wants to pull all strings in Moldavia. To do it Bucharest proclaimed “a bilateral partnership for entering Europe”, which means that with the CE backing Romania will start lobbying Moldavia's EU-integration ambitions and thereby will expand its foothold in the neighbor country.
This does not mean, however, that Romania has given up its plans of merger with Moldavia (“takeover” would be a more precise term). The Romanians are inspired with the example of the FRG, that realized its seemingly unrealizable dream and has swallowed the GDR in one gulp.
In one word, Voronin's protest does not look very sincere. First to ask Romania for brotherly hand in gas transit, energy, diplomacy, to give it its citizens and — then to pull it up sharp for its “fraternity…” This is not only a break up with the strong pro-Romanian lobby, who ushered Voronon into power, but simply a gross state inadequacy…
Yeah, and Russia doesn't like our secret CIA prisons in Romania either. Boo Hoo.
Wasn't Moldova part of Romania before WWII?
Yes, Moldava was bitten off from Romania by the Soviets, forced to convert its written (Latin) language to the cyrillic alphabet, and other aspects of russification. Current `Moldavan' leaders are Soviet leftovers, just like in Uzbekistan (I was there) and elsewhere.
Death to the USSR!
The best you can do?
It was also part of the Polish commonwealth, well invaded anyways, part of Hungaria, Turkey, etc, not to mention it was also independent.
It makes you RussiaFirsters unhappy that Romania is a US ally. Sniff, sniff. I feel for you.
Your expert's English is atrocious.
True. Some people would rather Moldoa continue to be run by Commies than be returned to Romania.
Those wacky vodka-soaked guys are at it again.
A historic passageway between Asia and S Europe, Moldova was often subject to invasion and warfare. It is historically part of a greater Moldavia, the main part of which was an independent principality in the 14th cent. and came under Ottoman Turkish rule in the 16th cent. It became a highly fortified Turkish border region and was a frequent target in Russo-Turkish wars. East Moldavia passed to Russia in 1791. Russia acquired further Moldavian territory in 1793 and especially in 1812, when the Russians received all of Bessarabia (the name for the area of Moldavia between the Prut and Dniester rivers). The rest of Moldavia remained with the Turks and later passed to Romania, which seized Bessarabia in 1918.
In 1924, the USSR, refusing to sanction the seizure, established the Moldavian ASSR in Ukraine, with Balta and then (1929) Tiraspol as the capital. Romania was forced to cede Bessarabia to the USSR in 1940. The predominantly Ukrainian districts in the south and around Khotin in the north were incorporated into Ukraine, as were parts of the Moldavian ASSR; the rest was merged with what remained of the Moldavian ASSR and made a constituent republic (the Moldavian SSR). Taken by Romania in 1941, the republic was reconquered by the USSR in 1944. In June, 1990, the Moldavian SSR adopted a measure calling for greater sovereignty within the USSR. In Aug., 1991, Moldova, which is the Romanian name of the region, was declared an independent republic; Mircea Snegur was elected president, and it reluctantly joined the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Russia was originally colonized by Swedes.
The ignorance is in full flow here.
Well Pakistan is too and so is Saudi Arabia, I'm sure you'll do well supporting their regimes too. Funny thing, you're the one who cheerlead for the ruling regime of Moldova (regardless they're commies) because they're anti-Russian. Why aren't you supporting them now? They're still not pro Russia, hmmm or is it tha even the thought drives you to excitement, even when the facts don't support that woody?
RUSSIAN OCCUPIERS OUT OF MOLDOVA! RUSSIANS GO HOME!
But, where does Elbonia fit in to all of this?
Your ignorance on the subject is rather glaring.
Between Greece and Albania.
You try to sell everyone the idea that pro-EU means anti-Russian, but this is only in your mind.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.