Transnistria: a bottom-up solution

More than two decades after the territory of Transnistria declared its independence from the post-Soviet state of Moldova, the EU has a real opportunity to solve the conflict and reunite Moldova.

New developments have created conditions for potential progress on Transnistria: Angela Merkel visited Moldova in August 2012; Russia appointed Dmitry Rogozin, a political heavyweight, to Transnistria; and both Moldova and Transnistria have recently elected new leaders.

But although Transnistria has the reputation of being the most solvable of the post-Soviet conflicts, a quick and dirty deal might be detrimental to long-term progress.

The authors of ‘Transnistria: a bottom-up solution’, Nicu Popescu and Leonid Litra, argue that what both Moldova and Transnistria need from the EU are policies that encourage reforms and improvements to the lives of their citizens. This will pave the way towards a formal deal on reintegration.

ICG: Conflict history: Moldova http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-moldova-2/

ESO: Background information: Tensions rise along the River Dniester http://www.europeansources.info/record/tensions-rise-along-the-river-dniester/

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