Igor Tulyantsev: people in Moldova look to the East!

Recently the Republic of Moldova appears in the center of news agencies’ attention for the same occasion – when its parliament doesn't manage to elect the president of the country once again … However, this question, of course, is important, but it is far not the unique. What political processes take place in the republic? What are the public moods? What are the relations of Moldova and Transdniestria? The chairman of the non-governmental ethnocultural anti-fascist organization “League of the Russian youth of the Republic of Moldova” Igor Viktorovich Tulyantsev told to our portal about all that.

The National committee of public awards of the Russian Federation has decorated Igor Tulyantsev with the order of Lomonosov for merits and big personal contribution to friendship and cooperation strengthening between Russia and the Republic of Moldova.

Today we publish the first part of interview:

- What are the relationship between the leading politicians of the country - V. Filat, M.Lupu, M. Gimpu and V. Voronin?

- Speaking about the leaders of parties who sit today at the Republic of Moldova’s parliament, I think, each inhabitant of the country had a question: do they correspond to the status of the people's deputy? Do they execute the will of the people?

Perhaps, any of the politicians listed by you doesn't ask a question of wellbeing and prosperity of the Moldavian state. Today there is a process of the division of the power between these people. Thus they understand that the more the sphere of influence, the more the prospects for them. Therefore the leaders of the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) and “the main communist of the country” can't come to a uniform denominator, fighting for the foreign capital which can be divided “for the good of Moldova.”

It is difficult to speak about any relationship between these people and about a solvency of the present power in general when the country remains without the president for two years. Being guided by personal interests and conforming to the rules of the foreign investors, it is impossible to construct sovereign, politically strong, stable, independent state which would follow the traditions and historical values.

- How it is possible to estimate the prospects of the development of the Russian-Moldavian relations?

- If to speak about the development of the Russian-Moldavian relations, it is possible to say that while the present country leaders remain in power, such prospect is still very far for our state if to consider, in particular, the pro-Romanian moods played recently which are fed by the power.

It should be noted that after creation of the Moldavian coalition government, certain mistrust was observed from the Kremlin which can be justified. As for 20 years of existence of independent Moldova, each of political parties which was in power for these years, proved the inability to reach the politically stable, truly friendly relations with the Russian Federation.

There are a lot of such examples and one doesn't have to look far for examples. Let's take, for example, 2001 year when the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova comes to power on the pro-Russian wave. The main points of the party in the pre-election program were the giving of the status of the second state to the Russian language, the solution of the Dnestr conflict by signing of “Kozak memorandum”, entry of Moldova into the union of Russia and Belarus and so on. What did it end? There is neither the Russian, nor the union, solutions of the Dnestr conflict, but there is a course on integration into EU, signing of a lot of contracts with NATO, the resuscitating of GUAM, the equating of the Soviet soldiers with the Romanian fascists etc. Also it is the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova which is considered to be “pro-Russian”?! What to say about that whom came on slogans of a frank pro-Rumynizm and unionism? What relations can they have with Moscow? And what prospects can be there?

Considering results of the opinion polls carried out recently, it is possible to draw a conclusion that today the citizens of our state are more inclined to integration expansion to the East, namely to entry into the Eurasian and Customs Unions, rather than to the European Union and NATO. In particular the evidence of that became the results of sociological poll “Vox-Popului – January 2012”, carried out by Association of sociologists and demographers of Moldova according to which about a half of respondents spoke against the accession of the Republic of Moldova to EU and against the presence of the military-political block of NATO in this region. It follows that the interests of the management of our state disperse from interests of the citizens at present. Respectively, if the power doesn't execute the will of the people, involuntarily there is a question: is such power necessary to the people?

Certainly, not only a position of the Moldavian state is important in this question. The foreign policy of the Russian side in relation to the Republic of Moldova also plays large role in formation of the Russian-Moldavian relations. In this case I mean the position of Moscow on association of all Russian movements and their supporters in one powerful organization which should become political in the long term. Then the prospects will appear both the Moldavian-Russian friendship and all the rest. It is better to work with the own people! I think you understood me ….

- How the Moldavian, Dnestr and foreign political scientists, politicians, scientists and public figures estimate the prospects of Dnestr settlement?

- The matter is exclusively political. It is obvious that the Republic of Moldova, being in a present situation of political instability, can't count on successful settlement of the Dnestr conflict. Today the ruling alliance created the atmosphere of complete disagreement between the coasts of Dnestr. We see that, despite numerous negotiations of both parties, a question of the solution of the Dnestr conflict costs as sharply.

The present government of our republic didn’t create any favorable condition for the solution of this problem. The alliance for the European integration, on the contrary, conducts the policy which essentially doesn't assume the successful solution of Dnestr question. There are active actions on complete destruction of national values in favor of association of Moldova with Romania and also the aspiration to the European integration which extremely negatively affects the relationship with east partners and including disperses from a position of Tiraspol. Besides, about what association is it possible to speak at the present official status of the Russian language in Moldova?

Russia did a set of attempts to “reconcile” two coasts and then Tiraspol was ready to it, but besides the Moldavian authorities had no political will as in a case of “Kozak memorandum”.

As to a question that politicians, scientists, public figures speak concerning the prospects of Dnestr settlement, so there are many opinions and judgments. But we found out the realities of the Moldavian policy. The opinion of the politicians and people differ from each other. I can say with confidence - the Moldavian people are grateful to Russia that it stopped the bloodshed of fraternal people of the left and right coasts of Dnestr. The people of Moldova and Transdniestria are united, exactly as well as of all former Soviet Union.

- Does Kishinev take steps on a diversification of import sources of hydrocarbons?

- Moldova, for the lack of own stocks of hydrocarbons, is the pure importer of oil and gas. The potential of the unique reconnoitered and used oil field makes less than 1 % from annual consumption of the country. There are also no large oil refineries in the territory of Moldova therefore the country buys the ready oil products. The main suppliers of gasoline and diesel fuel for Moldova are Romania (~50 %), Ukraine (~20 %) and Belarus (~10 %), the other 20 % were distributed between other EU countries (~15 %) and the CIS (~5 %). Thus, there is almost no the question of a diversification of oil products supply.

The case is absolutely different with the supply of gas, considering that Moldova buys 100 % of blue fuel from Russian “Gazprom”. Here the top officials of the state act with appeals to find replacement to the Russian gas and the measures taken by the power reach the absurd. For example, recently the Minister of Economics Lazer has declared that Moldova can shortly replace 25 % of the Russian gas with agricultural waste, namely straw. Thus, the jokes of the 90th becomes reality that the independence will bring the Moldavians that they start to heat the houses with the bricks of dry dung and straw again.

It should be noted also that the subject of power independence of Moldova disturbs the western partners of the country who for the sake of rescue of “poor Moldova” from gas dependence from Russia, are ready to invest any finance in the most unrealistic projects. The opening of the first kindergarten working at dung in Ermoclia village in Stefan Voda District is one of the first steps to implementation of the large-scale project “Energy and biomass in Moldova”, the cost of which will exceed 15 million Euros and will be paid by EU and UNDP.

But while Moldova is far to straw and dung independence and the heads of the country rush about the neighboring countries in search of possible ways to escape “from Gazprom paws”. The prime minister Filat said that in 2012-13 the gas pipeline connecting Moldova with Romanian (in fact European) gas transport system will be put into operation. The project, naturally, is financed by Europe - 7 million Euros will be given by EU and the European Reconstruction and Development Bank will give the rest 6 million. The acting president Lupu, having returned from Kiev, has pleased that in case of problems with supply of gas from Russia, Ukraine will relieve Moldova. Everything is “good”, but Filat and Lupu who aren't informed for certain, that Romania and Ukraine buy gas also from Gazprom and Romania even is more expensive than Moldova …

The same as the option of replacement of the Russian hydrocarbons, Moldova considers the possibilities of Azerbaijan where the prime minister Filat flied too. The Moldavian authorities participate in cross-border power projects with pleasure, in particular AGRI (the project on delivery of the Caspian gas bypassing Russia) and “Nabukko”. Not the last role in the solution of questions of power safety should play the creation (for the first time for the years of Moldova independence) of the Agency of power efficiency by means of which Moldova hopes to save to 20 % of the consumed energy by 2020 year.

Summing up, it is possible to say that all attempts of Moldova to refuse the Russian gas don't give any results yet and Russia remains the main supplier of this type of fuel for Moldova for the next years and decades possibly.