Muscat Daily

Europe stages summit to warn Moscow that Moldova is not alone

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Brusselsr2 Belgiumese Theretmay nottbetmuc­httimettot­discusstse­i curitytstr­ategytintd­etailhtbut­ta summittoft­upttotpste­uropean leaderstju­sttoutside­tmoldova’s capitaltch­isinautsho­uldtsendtr­usi siatatpowe­rfultmessa­gej

Moldova’stfragilet­democracy livestunde­rtthetshad­owtof Moscow’stinvasion­toftneighb­ouri ingtukrain­etandteffo­rtstbytrus­si ianibacked­tagentstto­tundermine itstambiti­onsttoward­steuropean integratio­nj

Ittwilltal­readytbeta­tlogistica­l andtpoliti­caltfeatti­fttheteuro­pean Politicalt­communityt­depcetmani agesttotga­thertdozen­stoftheads­tof statetandt­government­tontthursi daytfortat­summittgro­uptphototi­n solidarity­twithtmold­ova’stproi Westerntgo­vernmentj

Thetepctis­tatforumtf­orteuroi peantleade­rstinsidet­andtoutsid­e theteuttot­discusstco­mmon strategict­threatshta­ndteutcand­ii datestlike­tmoldovati­tanteconom­i icallytwea­ktformerts­oviettrepu­blic oftlesstth­antthreetm­illiontits­ee membership­tastatstag­ingtpostto­n thetroadtt­ot’russelsj

“Therethast­nevertbeen­tsuchta megaievent­tintthethi­storytof Moldovah”tsaidtfeli­xthetthtan­texi perttontuk­rainetandt­moldovatat Germany’stfriedric­hteberttfo­uni dationjt“iftalltgoe­stwellhtth­etsumi mittwilltb­etatpromot­ionalteven­t fortmoldov­ahtatproof­toftwhattt­he smalltcoun­trytcantac­hieveh”the toldt‘fpj

Moldovatis­tdividedtb­etweenta breakawayt­regiontocc­upiedtby Russiant‘peacekeepe­rs’tandtits politicsth­avetbeentu­nderminedt­by corruption­tandtforei­gntprovoca­i teursjtitt­hastfallen­tbehindtne­ighi boursttott­hetwesttan­dtnorthtin­tthe questttotj­ointtheteu­ropeantpro­ji ecthtbuttt­hetincreas­edtattenti­on beingtpaid­tbytwester­ntnationst­to thetregion­tsincetrus­sia’stalliout invasionto­ftukrainet­hastshaken uptthetpol­iticaltpic­turej

“Moldovantp­oliticians­tare awaretthat­ttheytowet­eutcandii datetstatu­sttotthetw­artin Ukraineh”thetttsaid­j

Totensuret­thetsafeta­ndtori derlytorga­nisationto­ftthetsumm­it atvasttair­ttrafficto­perationth­as beentsettu­pttotaccom­modate

leaders’tplanestat­tmoldova’s smalltairp­ortj

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France’stpresiden­ttemmanuel Macronhtwh­otpromoted­tthetidea oftthetepc­tastateuro­peantstrat­ei gictvehicl­etthattwou­ldtembrace countriest­outsidetth­eteuropean Uniontitbu­ttexcludet­russiatand­tits allyt’elarustiti­stduettota­ttendj

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variedtstr­ategictint­ereststast­the Unitedtkin­gdomhtturk­eyh Switzerlan­dhticeland­htserbiaht‘ri meniatandt‘zerbaijanj

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“We’lltneedtto­tseetwhoti­stin thetphotoh­tbuttalsot­whotisn’t thereh”tsaidtseba­stientmail­lardh Directorto­ftthetjacq­uestdelors­tini stitutehta­t’russelsiba­sedtthink tankj

“It’stalsotant­opportunit­ytto showtthatt­theteurope­anstcantdi­si cussttheir­tstrategic­tinterests amongtthem­selveshtwi­thouttthe ‘mericansj”

‘Moldova is not alone’

Fortmoldov­atitselfht­thetstakes­tare moretstrai­ghtforward­tthantatde­i batetabout­twheretthe­tbalanceto­f powertlies­tintwester­ntleadersh­ip circlesvtt­hetsummitt­istatstage­tto promotetit­steutambit­iontandtto surroundti­tselftwith­tfriendsti­ntthe facetoftru­ssiantmano­euvresj

Earliertth­istmonthht­president Maiatsandu­ttoldt‘fptthat Moldovatwa­ntsttotjoi­nttheteuro­i peantunion­t‘astsoontas­tpossible’ andttotbeg­intformalt­accession talkstwith­intmonthsj

“Oftcourseh­tnothingtc­ompares totwhattis­thappening­tintukrain­eh buttwetsee­tthetrisks­tandtwetdo believetth­attwetcant­savetour democracyt­onlytastpa­rttoftthe Euh”tshetsaidj

“Wetdotbeli­evetthattr­ussia willtconti­nuettotbet­atbigtsour­ce oftinstabi­litytfortt­hetyearstt­o cometandtw­etneedttot­protect ourselvesj”

Intthetrun­tupttotthe­tsummith Europeantl­eadersthav­etbeen postingtsh­orttvideos­toftsuppor­t fortmoldov­atlinkedtb­ytthethash­i tagvt‘moldovaisn­ot‘lone’j

Intjunetnl­nnhtlesstt­hantfour monthstaft­ertrussiat­unleashed antalliout­tinvasionh­ttheteutme­mi bertstates­tgrantedtu­krainetand Moldovatof­ficialtcan­didatetsta­i tusjtintth­etmonthstt­otcomehtth­ey willthavet­totdecidet­whenttotbe­gin negotiatin­gtmembersh­ipttermsj

 ?? (AFP) ?? Moldovaneg­raduatesep­oseeforeae­photoesess­ioneinethe­efrontethe­irehighesc­hooleinech­isinaueone­mondayteon­ejuneew Moldovaewi­lleholdeit­sefirstema­joresummit­eofewidere­europerebr­ingingetog­etherelead­erseofeall­ey7eeuecou­ntriese
(AFP) Moldovaneg­raduatesep­oseeforeae­photoesess­ioneinethe­efrontethe­irehighesc­hooleinech­isinaueone­mondayteon­ejuneew Moldovaewi­lleholdeit­sefirstema­joresummit­eofewidere­europerebr­ingingetog­etherelead­erseofeall­ey7eeuecou­ntriese

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