Dutchman set to be EU’s man in Moldova

Date: 10/03/05

The EU will name its first special envoy to Moldova later this week, in a bid to ramp up the Union's involvement in finding a solution to the frozen conflict in Transdniester.

Former Dutch diplomat Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged is almost certain to get the job of co-ordinating the EU's involvement in Moldova. Formerly Dutch ambassador to the US and NATO, in 2003 de Szeged was personal envoy of chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to Moldova.

His mandate, which is expected to be rubber-stamped along with his appointment on Friday, will focus on EU efforts to resolve the stand off between the Moldovan government and secessionist forces in the self-styled Republic of Transdniester.

So far attempts to forge a federation between the two regions have made little progress and have been complicated by the presence of Russian troops.

De Szeged is expected initially to travel between a base in The Hague and Chisinau, Moscow, Kiev and elsewhere in the region, with staff based in the Moldovan capital.

Initial French fears that the appointment might sour Russian relations appear to have been allayed. So too institutional wrangling between the European Commission and Council of Ministers.

The Commission had insisted that the Council representative have little involvement in implementing the recently agreed EU-Moldva 'neighbourhood agreement'.

A compromise mandate will see de Szeged deal with only certain "relevant aspects" of the neighbourhood policy, according to one diplomat. It is hoped that his office will be operational by 1 May.

The announcement comes as a new Moldovan government takes shape following parliamentary elections last week.

The ruling Communist Party took 46.1% of the vote, enough to form a government but five seats short of being able to appoint the president outright.

Observers say that a recent shift away from Moscow's policies may not have been enough to convince pro-western voters, while losing the support of pro-Moscow factions.

Article reports that the EU was planning to name former Dutch diplomat Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged its first special envoy to Moldova, in a bid to ramp up the Union's involvement in finding a solution to the frozen conflict in Transdniester.

Formerly Dutch ambassador to the US and NATO, in 2003 de Szeged had been personal envoy of chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to Moldova.