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THE RELATIONS BETWEEN REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
Svetlana Cebotari, State University of Moldova, Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Relations; Military Academy ,,Alexandru cel Bun "
Alina Slobodaniuc, State University of Moldova, Faculty of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Relations
E-mail: svetlana. cebotari@mail. ru
Abstract. In the context of the new geopolitical changes, an important role in the process of democratization societies, as well as in the process of economic reforms of the Republic of Moldova, belongs to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This article submits the analysis of political , economic and socio - cultural relations between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Key words: Republic of Moldova, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, cooperation, political relations, trade, interstate collaboration.
Introduction
During the 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom, between both states have been existed a remarkable cooperation, during which time there have been recorded concrete results in various fields. British assistance to our country it is indisputable, in its efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and to develop a favorable environment for a sustainable and equitable economic growth. Great Britain supports the creation of a market economy and the implementation of economic, political and social reforms to allow Moldova to become a member of the EU. Britain supports the actions that government of Republic of Moldova is taking in the process of democratization.
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The political dimension of the relations between Republic of Moldova and United Kingdom
In accordance with point b of Chapter IV,, Principles of Foreign Policy of the Republic of Moldova " of the Foreign Policy Conception of the Republic of Moldova of 8 February 1995, relations with the UK are primary [11]. Thereby, taking into account the importance and the role of the states developed by G7 in the global economy and their role in the domain of international relations, in maintaining peace and security on the globe, the Republic of Moldova will pay special attention to relations of partnership and cooperation with the European states , intuitively with the UK. In addition to the mentioned principles ,to the Conception text there are also indicated the directives on the basis of which The Republic of Moldova will promote its extermination policy. So, according to the provisions of Conception, the development of bilateral inter-state relations will focus on: relations with European and North American states [12].
The UK, along with the EU's partners, recognized the independence of the Republic of Moldova on 31 December 1991. The Embassy of the United Kingdom was opened in Chisinau in 2002, and currently develops and maintains relations between the UK and the Republic of Moldova [16]. Until now, 15 bilateral agreements have been signed between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom in different fields, such as: political, economic, legislation, security etc ... The bilateral legal relationship basis between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom is: the Agreement between the Government of The Republic of Moldova and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on mutual promotion and protection of investment; Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on international Road Transport; Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on technical cooperation; The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova and the Association of Heads of State Police, Royal Prosecutor's Office of England and Wales, Office of Fraud, Department Customs and Excise Duties of its Majesty, the National Brigade Against Criminality and The National Criminal Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation in the fight against serious crime, organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and other similar issues of mutual interest; Mutual Declaration of the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the cooperation in the field of professional recycling of armed soldiers of the Republic of Moldova; Memorandum of
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Understanding between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation and exchange of geographic materials in the field of cartography / geodesy between the Topographic Service of the National Army of the Republic of Moldova and the Geospatial Defense Research of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Moldova and the UK Department of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation and relations in defense domain; Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation between the Court of Accounts of the Republic of Moldova and the National Audit Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Convention between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion regarding to taxes on income and oncapital [15].
An important step in strengthening the Moldovan-British relations was the working visit in October 1996 of Mircea Snegur , the President of the Republic of Moldova. Since 1996, the visits of Moldovan officials have been accelerating in the UK. Between 6-8 September 2011, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca wa in to a a working visit to the UK. The visit schedule included a meeting with British counterpart William Hague as well as talks with David Lidington, national security advisor Peter Ricketts, with a group of British parliamentarians - members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Republic of Moldova , academics and journalists from the UK. During the talks with his British counterpart, the Moldovan Foreign Minister informed William Hague on the challenges that Republic of Moldova is facing in modernizing the country, reviewing domestic developments in our country and the main external objectives. The British official was interested in resuming the 5 + 2 negotiations on the Transnistrian conflict and the role of the international actors involved in the process. Similarly, the stable and constructive cooperation between the two states within international organizations has been discussed. In talks on the European aspirations of the Republic of Moldova, William Hague reiterated his country's consistent support for the EU's rapprochement with the EU, underlining that the UK will continue to support the EU enlargement process. The prospect of boosting Moldo-British bilateral trade and economic cooperation was also addressed. The British Foreign Minister also welcomed the Moldovan initiative to expand the Moldovan market, especially wine products in the UK, and to attract British investment to Moldova [6].
Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration ,Natalia Gherman had a meeting with David Lidington on 29 of January 2014, the Minister for Europe of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who paid a visit to Moldova, at the invitation of the head of Moldovan diplomacy. During the talks, Minister Natalia
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Gherman highly praised Britain's support and encouragement of Moldova's rapprochement with the European Union, as well as the support of the British Government for the democratic, economic and social transformations taking place in Moldova. Also, in the dialogue, special attention was paid to obtaining a visa facilitation scheme with the UK for Moldovan citizens [13].
In this context, can be mentioned, the January-February 2006 and 2008 visits of Marian Lupu, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, and from February 2017, the visit of Andrian Candu, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. The Government of the United Kingdom considers that any state has the right to join the EU if it meets all the necessary conditions, said David Lidington, British Minister for Europe in a speech before civil society on 29 of January, 2017 in Chisinau. At the same time, the official stated that the UK is not a member of the Schengen area, so Moldovan citizens will not be able to travel without visas to the United Kingdom [5]. In conditions that Britain is in the process of leaving the EU and is not part of the Schengen area, Britain does not have an official position on the visa regime for Moldovan citizens; thus, Moldovan citizens will still have to apply for the British visa, regardless of the signing of the Liberalized Arrangement Agreement. However. However, despite these present nuances in the Moldovan-British relations, Britain remains a partner and a supporter of the Republic of Moldova in its process of democratization and economic development.
The commercial - economic dimension relations between Republic of Moldova and United Kingdom
The economic dimension is an important one in the Moldovan-British relations, the UK being one of the country's main trading partners. The main economic agreements concluded between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom are: Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the Promotion and Safeguarding of Investment signed in London on 19 March 1996, entered into force on 30 July 1998; Convention between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital and the Protocol there to, signed in London on 08.11.2007 entered into force on 30.10.2008. According to British Enterprise Consulting, at the request of the British Foreign Ministry, the most important investment opportunities for British companies in the Republic of Moldova are in the following sectors: energy, especially energy efficiency and alternative energy sources; agribusiness (including irrigation systems and water resources); education and training; training in public administration, including justice, taxes and customs; information and communication technologies; infrastructure projects; light industry, especially textiles [15].
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Trade relations between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom have a positive balance in commercial-economic cooperation. Thus, the volume of foreign trade, without taking into account the commercial activity of the economic agents from the eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova with the United Kingdom, amounted to USD 167.9 million in 2013, holding a weight of 2.1 % in the total trade of the Republic of Moldova. Compared to 2012, the volume of Moldo van-British foreign trade grew by 18.4%. Based on the volume of trade exchanges registered in 2013, the United Kingdom ranks 10th among the partners with whom Moldova has commercial relations and 5th in the top of the European Union. The main goods exported to the UK are: sneakers, sets, jackets, dresses, skirts, trousers, bibs, aprons, knitted or crocheted for women or girls, sunflower seeds, whether or not shelled. The import of goods during the mentioned period amounted to USD 62.4 million and registered a decrease compared to 2012, namely - by 7.5%. Great Britain ranks 9th in the top of the EU countries from which Moldova imports. The main commodities imported by the Republic of Moldova from the United Kingdom in 2013 were: passenger cars and other passenger cars, including "break" and racing cars, wine distillates, spirits, liqueurs and other alcoholic beverages, and conditioned for retail sale). According to the official information submitted by the State Registration Chamber on October 1, 2016, 232 British companies were active in the Republic of Moldova, with British investments amounting to 516 million lei, ranked 7th in the field of social investments and 10th by number of enterprises [16].
Starting from 18 April, 2016, the Republic of Moldova benefits from British assistance through the British Government's Good Governance Fund, which over the years 2016-2017 has allocated over 5 million Euros to implement 8 projects in our country. The funds will be redirected to reform the most sensitive sectors, including the fight against corruption, improving the business environment, reforming the judiciary, the financial and banking sector, energy, strengthening the public administration, etc. The projects funded by the Good Governance Fund in the Republic of Moldova during the period 2016-2017 include: the creation of a guide for the individualization of the structure; strengthening the capacities of the State Tax Service of the Republic of Moldova; Assistance for the development of the Regional Development Agency recently created in Gagauzia; providing analytical support for an optimal fiscal system; responsible management of public spending; the public information campaign on DCFTA; strengthening regional media. which involves organizing and conducting TV debates in local media (implemented in partnership with IPRE). An important role in the development of relations between the UK and the Republic of Moldova is the Moldovan-British Friendship Group of the UK Parliament, led by Lord Dubs of Battersea, chairman of the British Parliamentary Group for EU enlargement. Its activity is aimed at expanding the bilateral partnership in the field of economic development and trade promotion in the Republic of Moldova, facilitating
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investments as well as continuing the technical-financial assistance dialogue as direct budget support, including through the Department for International Development (DDI / DFID) [4].
An important step in strengthening the Moldovan-British legal framework in the economic field was the signing the free trade with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in London on 8 February, 2017, during the meeting of the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Andrian Candu with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sir Alan Duncan. Also, during the meetings were discussed the investment opportunities in the Republic of Moldova, the necessities of maintaining and increasing the trade, including after the exit of Great Britain from the EU.
Another issue present in the Moldovan-British dialogue was the Transnistrian issue, which, beyond the security risks for the whole region, is a hindrance to the country's development and attraction of British investors. In this respect, Foreign Ministry officials have pledged assistance and expertise to the Republic of Moldova in the settlement of the dispute, taking into account Britain's experience on this channel [2]. According to the official information submitted by the State Registration Chamber, 212 state-owned enterprises operated in the Republic of Moldova on 01.01.2014. A special sector that deserves attention is that of the textile industry, which operates on the basis of lohn J. Barbour and Sons and sewing in Chi§inau wax jackets for ladies, etc. An important role in the development of the economic sector has been the investment of Draexlmaier companies in ZEL Balti and Lear in Ungheni. Investments of IT companies such as Endava and Computaris are also important. Major investments are made by British companies in the field of vegetable oil processing. Moldovan wine producers are signing more and more contracts with retail and supermarket networks in Europe and around the world, including the UK. Thanks to a contract signed with Berry Bros. & Rudd, a prestigious English company, will import Blacks of Purcari, Rare Black and Pinot Grigio in all UK and UK BB & R subsidiaries [10]. Our wines in small amounts are sold on the www.laithwaites.co.uk. There are also "Made in Moldova" clothes sewn in lohn base.
The socio-cultural dimension of the relations between Republic of Moldova and United Kingdom
The Moldo-British relations are also developing in the socio-cultural field. Thus, the relations between the Republic of Moldova and the United Kingdom are fortified through the organization CCF Moldova - Child, Community, Family. This is a non-profit organization founded in 2004. In 2005, CCF Moldova became HHC UK (Hope and Homes for Children UK). CCF / HHC plays an important role in reforming the child's education and protection system, such as deinstitutionalization, the development of alternative family-type services, inclusive education, etc. Since 2004,
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CCF / HHC Moldova has implemented deinstitutionalization programs and the amounts allocated by UK HHC amount to 3 million 284,435 Euros. As far as education programs are concerned, their value amounts to $ 626,703. An important role in the development of socio-cultural relations is the work of Hope and Homes for Children United Kingdom (HHC) in the Republic of Moldova, an organization that supports the process of institutionalization and development of family-type services for children from several countries of the world [3].
British Technical Assistance to the Republic of Moldova has been granted since 1991 through the Department for International Development (DFID). The total amount of assistance offered between 1991 and 2009 is estimated at 20 million pounds. In 2000, DFID opened a permanent representation in the Republic of Moldova. Until 2004, most of the assistance projects were carried out in the agricultural, banking and social sectors. Under the Regional Assistance Plan for 2004-2007, the projects were carried out in the following areas: (1) improving governance and the institutional framework to reduce poverty; (2) promoting sustainable economic development; (3) strengthening the UK's contribution to conflict prevention and resolution. Through the Global Conflict Prevention Fund, jointly set up with the British MFA, the Ministry of Defense and DFID, a 3-year project called the Peace Enhancement Framework was developed to address conflict resolution, media training and inter-human projects. After 18 years of activity in Moldova, DFID ends its activity in March 2011 due to the fact that, according to the OECD assessment, Moldova was promoted to the middle income countries category. At the end of DFID's work in Moldova, the total assistance provided to the country amounted to £ 40m [15].
Not less important in the development of the Moldovan-British socio-cultural relations is the activity of the University of Cambridge, which offers young people from the Republic of Moldova the opportunity to take part in a summer program from 08-18 August 2018. The courses are intended for lawyers and students of law schools [ 8]. Young people from the Republic of Moldova aged between 25 and 35 can also participate in the John Smith Trust program of the UK Government. The aim of the program is to give the new generation of leaders in the region the chance to study in areas such as good governance, social justice and the rule of law through a series of workshops and visits to the UK, followed by mentoring [9]. Great Britain offers these scholarships to gifted young people from the Republic of Moldova, thanks to the fruitful collaboration established between the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and the Royal Society of London, a capital recently visited by the ASM leadership. The EXCEL Educational Assistance Center, in partnership with the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, organized the second edition of the EdUKation National Contest on the 20th of February 2010, at ASM High School. The objective of the competition is to stimulate the competitiveness of gifted pupils and to offer extensive possibilities for manifesting and demonstrating their own dexterity in the realm of linguistics and real
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sciences. Britain's intention to open the British Council's representation in the Republic of Moldova is also a step that strengthens the Moldo-British relations in the cultural sphere. The British Council is a governmental institution that represents British culture and collaborates in the fields of culture and education. He also welcomed the President's proposal to receive assistance and expertise in regulating topics related to broadcasting, propaganda, misinformation, and the development of local media content. It is worth mentioning that the United Kingdom's Foreign Ministry is supporting the development of BBC programs in Russian. In this context, the parties agreed to organize a forum to address the issue of information security and the development of information products on a market like Moldova. Conclusion
Thus, by analyzing the Moldo-British relations, it is worth mentioning that Britain's interest in the Republic of Moldova is determined by its foreign policy oriented towards the expansion of the democratic space, London supporting the European Neighborhood Policy itself, as well as the democratic tendencies , reforms and economic situation in the Republic of Moldova.
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