Moldovan authorities received a final international report on the death of Valeriu Boboc, a young man who died on April 7, during the mass repression campaign initiated by authorities after the vandalization of the Parliamentary and Presidential buildings. According to a Soros Foundation report, 700 people were detained during the repression, and 300 were tortured in police stations and other unknown locations.
Valeriu Boboc's body was returned home after a few days, and authorities at the time said he had died because of an intoxication with an unknown gas substance.
The international expertise, conducted by a professional from the United Kingdom, establishes that Mr. Boboc, a husband and a father of a young child, was beaten to death, most likely by police officers. Many Moldovans are not surprised by the report, considering the fact that pictures taken of the young man during his funeral show him with a huge dent in his head, most likely caused by brutal beatings. These pictures made their way onto the front pages of international press, as well. A popular Romanian daily - Evenimentul Zilei - had a large picture of Mr. Boboc's dead body on their front page.
Authorities have said that it will be very difficult to establish who exactly killed Mr. Boboc considering the fact that the people beating him, according to witnesses, were wearing masks. Since multiple police officers were kicking protesters who were ordered to lie down, it is also difficult to establish which kick was fatal.
Communist authorities, which were in power during April, have denied ordering the repression campaign, although Interior Minister Papuc, who coordinated the activity of police forces on the night of April 7 and later, told prosecutors that he followed orders from leaders at the time.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Interim President: NATO membership not an issue at the moment because of heterogeneity of Alliance party members
Moldovan interim President and Speaker Mihai Ghimpu said during a joint press conference with Romanian President Traian Basescu yesterday that NATO membership is not a current issue in Chisinau because the programs of the ruling coalition parties "are different."
Mr. Ghimpu is referring to the fact that the Democratic Party, considered to be the more centrist member of the Alliance for European Integration, is more skeptical about NATO membership than the other four parties making up the coalition.
The opposition Party of Communists is adamantly against NATO membership, and polls show that whereas most Moldovans want to join the European Union, a majority does not want to join NATO.
Mr. Ghimpu is referring to the fact that the Democratic Party, considered to be the more centrist member of the Alliance for European Integration, is more skeptical about NATO membership than the other four parties making up the coalition.
The opposition Party of Communists is adamantly against NATO membership, and polls show that whereas most Moldovans want to join the European Union, a majority does not want to join NATO.
Moldova ranked third in Russian wine imports in 2009
According to data provided by a research center in Russia, Moldova ranked third in wine imports to the country in 2009.
The country shipped about 27 million liters of wine to Russia. Moldova took about 12 percent of the wine market share there. France and Bulgaria took first and second place, respectively, with 18 and 15 percent of the market.
Moldova used to be a more important wine trading partner before the Russian wine embargo in 2006, when it lost considerable market share and had to reorient its business to other countries. Recently, Moscow and Chisinau have held talks about resuming a large volume of wine exports to Russia.
The country shipped about 27 million liters of wine to Russia. Moldova took about 12 percent of the wine market share there. France and Bulgaria took first and second place, respectively, with 18 and 15 percent of the market.
Moldova used to be a more important wine trading partner before the Russian wine embargo in 2006, when it lost considerable market share and had to reorient its business to other countries. Recently, Moscow and Chisinau have held talks about resuming a large volume of wine exports to Russia.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
New law to make identification of internet users easier, critics complain about reduction in privacy rights
According to a new law on fighting cyber-crime, internet providers will have to offer authorities any information that could be of relevance for the identification of clients.
The move is intended to fight internet crime in the country, but critics have said that it might restrict private rights. The outrage thus far seems to be rather subdued, however.
Authorities have not yet commented upon these concerns.
The move is intended to fight internet crime in the country, but critics have said that it might restrict private rights. The outrage thus far seems to be rather subdued, however.
Authorities have not yet commented upon these concerns.
Romanian President promises support for E.U. integration and 100-million-Euro grant
Romanian President Traian Basescu is on an official visit to Moldova on January 27-28. He is accompanied by a large number of cabinet ministers from Bucharest.
Mr. Basescu met with a number of Moldovan officials today, including interim President and Speaker Mihai Ghimpu and Prime Minister Vlad Filat.
The Romanian head of state pledged to support Moldova's aspirations to join the E.U. and promised that Bucharest would provide a 100-million-Euro non-refundable grant for improving education infrastructure.
Mr. Basescu was greeted downtown by hundreds of pro-Romanian demonstrators. The Romanian President is rather popular with many Moldovans. He managed to garner 95 percent of the vote expressed in Moldova during the presidential election in Romania last year.
The Romanian head of state also promised to increase response time for granting citizenship to Moldovans.
The visit is seen as a sign of improving ties between Chisinau and Bucharest after the two countries had a very shaky relationship during the Communist period (2001-2009).
Mr. Basescu met with a number of Moldovan officials today, including interim President and Speaker Mihai Ghimpu and Prime Minister Vlad Filat.
The Romanian head of state pledged to support Moldova's aspirations to join the E.U. and promised that Bucharest would provide a 100-million-Euro non-refundable grant for improving education infrastructure.
Mr. Basescu was greeted downtown by hundreds of pro-Romanian demonstrators. The Romanian President is rather popular with many Moldovans. He managed to garner 95 percent of the vote expressed in Moldova during the presidential election in Romania last year.
The Romanian head of state also promised to increase response time for granting citizenship to Moldovans.
The visit is seen as a sign of improving ties between Chisinau and Bucharest after the two countries had a very shaky relationship during the Communist period (2001-2009).
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Bucharest: over 20,000 Moldovans and Ukrainians received Romanian citizenship in 2009
According to data provided by the Justice Ministry in Romania, Bucharest granted over 20,000 citizenships to Moldovan and Ukrainian residents in 2009.
Normally, any person can ask for Romanian citizenship and receive it if it can be proven that they lost it involuntarily. This means that anyone who lived in what is today the Republic of Moldova when it was part of Romania in the period between the two world wars can ask for a reinstatement of citizenship. In addition, their descendants up to the third generation can do the same.
A very large number of Moldovans have applied for Romanian citizenship as a result, but most are yet to hear from authorities in Bucharest. Romania recently reformed the institutions that deal with citizenship reinstatement in an attempt to improve response time.
h/t www.timpul.md
Normally, any person can ask for Romanian citizenship and receive it if it can be proven that they lost it involuntarily. This means that anyone who lived in what is today the Republic of Moldova when it was part of Romania in the period between the two world wars can ask for a reinstatement of citizenship. In addition, their descendants up to the third generation can do the same.
A very large number of Moldovans have applied for Romanian citizenship as a result, but most are yet to hear from authorities in Bucharest. Romania recently reformed the institutions that deal with citizenship reinstatement in an attempt to improve response time.
h/t www.timpul.md
Communist head: Romanian President "should mind his own business at home, in Romania"
Former President (2001-2009) and current Party of Communists (PC) head Vladimir Voronin told the press today that Romanian President Traian Basescu "should mind his own business at home, in Romania" instead of visiting Moldova.
Mr. Basescu has planned a two-day visit to Moldova, during which he will meet with local officials and visit the cemetery of Romanian soldiers who fought the Soviets in 1941, located in the village of Tiganca.
Communist-run Moldova between 2001 and 2009 had a very tense relationship with Bucharest, which peaked in April 2009, when Mr. Voronin accused the neighboring country of attempting to stage a coup. The conflict is mostly centered on the Communists' insistence that Moldovans are not Romanians and objections to Mr. Basescu calling Moldova a "second Romanian state."
Mr. Basescu has planned a two-day visit to Moldova, during which he will meet with local officials and visit the cemetery of Romanian soldiers who fought the Soviets in 1941, located in the village of Tiganca.
Communist-run Moldova between 2001 and 2009 had a very tense relationship with Bucharest, which peaked in April 2009, when Mr. Voronin accused the neighboring country of attempting to stage a coup. The conflict is mostly centered on the Communists' insistence that Moldovans are not Romanians and objections to Mr. Basescu calling Moldova a "second Romanian state."
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