Photo: iStock
Csongor B. Veress
05/01/2024 16:57
The Republic of Moldova is a country with a unique location and history, but one might know little or nothing about it. It only borders Romania and Ukraine, and this has a particular impact on its prospects for the near and distant future. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, with a population that is dwindling significantly every year due to brain drain and emigration.
It stretches 350 kilometres North-South and 150 kilometres West-East and has almost no minerals or energy resources, and its small industry is therefore heavily dependent on imports. Its territory is relatively densely populated, with more than half of the population living in rural areas and working in agriculture, thanks to the excellent soil.
Being bilingual or even trilingual is quite normal in Moldova. Romanian is the native language, but most Moldovans speak Russian. In addition to this, some also speak Gagauz, a Turkik language.
Moldova has a violent history, being strategically located between Europe and Asia. The area has been inhabited since ancient times, and many peoples and empires have passed through over the centuries. The country was founded in 1359, and since then, it was rarely independent, rather under Ottoman or Russian occupation.
In 1990, Transnistria, a little piece of land that encircles the Ukrainian border, proclaimed its sovereignty from Moldova. Although the country is not acknowledged by the UN, the breakaway state does have its own currency and border guards.
Moldova gained independence in 1992 from the Soviet Union and since then has been seesawing between East and West in its foreign policy, with governments that are sometimes more pro-Western (and generally 'pro-Romanian') and sometimes 'pro-Russian' but are clearly dependent on Russia for its economy.
In March 2022, the President and the Prime Minister of the Republic signed the country's formal application for EU membership, seizing the opportunity following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Maintaining the status quo in the long term is in Moscow's best interests because until the situation in Transnistria is resolved, there is no chance of unification between Moldova and Romania or joining the EU. If there was a conflict in Transnistria, which were to spread to Moldova, and fighting would break out, the Romanian leadership would certainly not stand idly by, and NATO would be drawn into the war, which all would mean a great war between NATO and Russia. Hence, the small land of Moldova plays such an important role in our turbulent times.
The author is a PhD candidate at the University of Public Service who visited Moldova several times and presented at conferences organized by the State University of Moldova and the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova