On January 17-18, while paying an official visit to Moscow, Igor Dodon, the President of the Republic of Moldova, made a series of reprehensible statements, which are in conflict with the constitutional provisions, override the national interests, deepen the social division, jeopardize the economic security of the country, seriously tarnish the image of Moldova as a responsible partner, and create tensions in our relations with all the other strategic partners of the country, particularly EU, Romania, and Ukraine.

In this context, we, the signatories of this Statement, vehemently condemn of the commitments made publicly by Igor Dodon, President of Moldova, in Moscow, specifically: to cancel the Association Agreement signed by the Republic of Moldova with the EU; to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Eurasian Union in order to receive association status; to acknowledge/take on Transnistria’s 6 billion USD debt for the natural gas imported from Russia; as well as the implicit commitment to revive the Kozak Memorandum for the federalisation of Moldova.

In addition, we denounce the irresponsible statements made by Igor Dodon with reference to the neighbouring countries, Romania and Ukraine, which question their territorial integrity.

In our opinion, these commitments and statements go beyond the legal powers of the President, blatantly infringing the constitutional provisions. The electors’ vote casted for Igor Dodon in the recent presidential elections do not give him the right to diverge from the constitutional provisions, which clearly stipulate that it is only the Parliament who approves the main directions of the country’s domestic and foreign policy, while the Government secures the implementation of the domestic and foreign policy. At the same time, such decisions may not be made without broad consultation of the public opinion in a democratic and transparent process.

The supreme law requires the head of state to promote Moldova’s national interests strictly in line with the national priorities of the domestic and foreign policy. Or, it is common knowledge that Moldova’s EU integration is a national objective and is not imposed by one individual, or one political party.

From the signing of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with EU, on November 28, 1994 until the signing of the Association Agreement with EU, on June 27, 2014, the elected parliaments, governments, and presidents, the civil society, and the public opinion continuously advocated for this desideratum. This lengthy effort has been welcomed and supported by the parliament majority and the Government, by Moldova’s main development partners, its direct beneficiaries being the citizens and various industries of the national economy.

Failure to observe the constitutional provisions on foreign policy by the Head of State compromises the efforts aimed at reforming the state, as well as the efforts of a whole generation to bring Moldova closer to the EU family, like all our neighbours have done, and undermines important ongoing projects with EU institutions and development partners. The disregard of the constitutional rules in this sense represents a serious threat for the country, for which reason we call on Igor Dodon to comply with his constitutional duties without delay.

At the same time, we express our deep disapproval at the fact that the Head of State, Igor Dodon, in his capacity as a guarantor of the sovereignty, national independence, unity and integrity of the state, has failed to demand the Russian president Vladimir Putin the observance of the human rights on the left bank of Dniester, and the immediate, unconditional, and full withdrawal of the Russian troops deployed illegally on the territory of Moldova.

Russian Federation is an important partner and the normalisation of Moldova’s relations with this country is an objective necessity. However, it is unacceptable that the relations between Moldova and Russia would be developed at the expense of other partnerships vital for Moldova and by sacrificing our national interests.

We are drawing the attention of the public opinion that a possible denunciation of the Association Agreement would seriously disrupt the political, economic, and trade relations with the EU, and would lead to a significant decrease of the European investments and the suspension of the financial assistance provided by EU through different development instruments. Apart from this, Moldova would be suspended from a number of EU research, innovation, education, and cultural programs, etc., while the visa-free regime with the EU would be undoubtedly revised. The economic loss caused by the suspension of the Association Agreement will amount, in short term, to hundreds of millions EUR, and thousands of Moldovan citizens will lose their jobs.

At the same time, the Transnistrian settlement through Moldova’s federalization based on the Kozak Memorandum, which was irrevocably rejected by the civil society and the national authorities in 2003, would undermine the fundamental pillars of the Moldovan state enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and would derail forever the country’s EU integration process. In addition, this cannot be a decision taken by one individual or some political forces without consultation of the public opinion.

In order to prevent such scenario, we urge all responsible political forces, the civil society, and the media in Moldova to take a stance on the initiatives promoted by the new President of Moldova in the area of foreign policy and the Transnistrian settlement, by which he is trying to divert the society’s attention from the real priorities and problems of the country, specifically: the rampant corruption, constant defiance of the law and the Constitution, impunity and unaccountability of the political class, undermining of the rule of law, banking fraud, continuous poverty of the population, and the massive exodus from the country.

We also call on the Parliament of Moldova to take a stance and to disapprove unequivocally the illegal commitments made by Igor Dodon in Moscow.

Finally, we would like to remind Igor Dodon that Moldovan citizens have voted him in the position of President not in order to violate the Constitution, to federalise Moldova, to spoil the relations with the neighbours, to deepen the poverty, to divide the society, and to jeopardise the economic security of the country, but rather to demand a comprehensive international investigation of the banking fraud; to reject discredited candidates to the positions of judges; to free the public prosecutor’s office from the political influence; to prevent shifting the stolen billion on to citizens’ shoulders; to destroy the oligarchic system that has taken control over the state, etc.

Our statement is open for signature to all representatives of the civil society.

Chisinau, January 19, 2017

Signatories:

1. Victor Chirila, President, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
2. Victoria Bucataru, Executive Director, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
3. Vasile Nedelciuc, Member, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
4. Ion Sturza, Member, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
5. Eugen Carpov, Member, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
6. Arcadie Barbarosie, Member, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
7. Valeriu Gheorghiu, Member, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
8. Igor Munteanu, Executive Director, IDIS Viitorul
9. Ion Guzun, Legal Advisor, Legal Resources Center from Moldova
10. Valentin Ciubotaru, Executive Director, NGO BIOS
11. Petru Botnaru, Executive Director, NGO "Terra-1530
12. Ioana Bobina, Women Association for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development 
13. Sorin Mereacre, President, East – Europe Foundation
14. Leonid Litra, Institute for World Policy, Kyiv 
15. Lilia Carasciuc, Executive Director, Transparency International -Moldova
16. Iulian Groza, Executive Director, European Institute of politics and reforms (IPRE)
17. Ion Manoli, Executive Director, Promo-Lex 
18. Petru Culeac, Director, Good Governance Programme, Soros Foundation, Moldova 
19. Mihai Roșcovan, President BCI
20. Catinca Mardarovici, Executive Director, CPF-50/50 
 21. Legal Resources Center from Moldova 
22. Iordanca-Rodca Iordanov, Executive Director, EcoContact
23. Ana Revenco, President, International Center for protecting and promoting women’s rights "La Strada"
24. Ludmila Popovici, Executive Director, RCTV Memoria
25. Dumitru Drumea, Ecos
26. Angela Chicu, President, Association of Professional and Business Women from Moldova 
27. Artur Nebunu, Legal Resources Center from Moldova, Center for environmental support, Cahul
28. Gabriela Ojog, Foundation for Advancement of Moldova
29. Sorina Macrinici, Legad Advisor, Legal Resources Center from Moldova 
30. Ina Coseru, National Center for Environment
31. Viorel Soltan, Center for Health Policies and Studies
32. Petru Macovei, Executive Director, API
33. Adrian Lupusor, Executive Director, Expert-Grup
34. Georgeta Mincu, Deputy-director, Center for Development and Management
35. Ion Schidu, Expert & Human Rights Lawyer
36. Anatol Taranu, Member, Foreign Policy Association (APE)
37. Petru Macovei, Executive Director, Association of Independent Press 
(API), Secretary of Moldovan Press Council
38. Georgeta Mincu, Deputy Director, Center for Development 
and Management (CDM)
39. Tatiana Marin, Ecological Movement Stefan Voda
40. Alecu Reniță, Ecological Movement of Moldova
41. Pavel GRECU, Legal Officer, Legal Resources Centre from Moldova
42. Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT)
43. Legal Resources Centre from Moldova
44. Nadin Gogu, Center for Independent Journalism