As of: March 8, 2024, 10:47 a.m
By: Leonie Hudelmaier, Peter Sieben
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Moldovan President Maia Sandu with Emmanuel Macron © IMAGO/L.Urman / Starface
France assures the republic of “unwavering support” – Ramelow calls for an immigration agreement.
Munich – The Republic of Moldova is not even half the size of Bavaria.
A small spot with around four million inhabitants between the EU country Romania and Ukraine.
Caught between war and peace.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, people in Moldova have been nervous.
Not only because the small country, with 100,000 refugees, has taken in the most people in relation to the population size, but also because of the fear of a similar fate to that in Ukraine.
Republic of Moldova: Russian is spoken
There are shockingly many parallels between Moldova and Ukraine.
Russia has also secured a pro-Russian separatist area in Moldova as part of a war.
Similar to 2014 in the Ukrainian Donbass.
Since then, the small strip that borders Ukraine has been seceded.
Transnistria has its own currency (Transnistrian ruble), its own passports, its own security forces - even its own Cyrillic alphabet.
Russian is spoken and gas from Russia supplies the area.
Moldova wants to join the EU
Meanwhile, Moldova is consistently oriented towards the European Union.
In a spirit of unity, Moldovan President Maia Sandu is taking part in the EPP Congress in Bucharest, Romania, this week.
“Dear Ursula,” writes Sandu on a picture in which she is holding hands with EPP candidate Ursula von der Leyen.
“Your personal commitment to our country will help us become stronger, more resilient and move closer to EU membership.”
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt also met with Sandu on the sidelines of the congress.
He then warns that Russia is trying to destabilize Moldova and inflame sentiment in Transnistria.
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The feelers towards the EU have already been put out: the Republic of Moldova has been officially a candidate for membership since June 2022.
On Thursday, Sandu and her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will also agree to cooperate on defense.
France pledged its “unwavering support” to Moldova, Macron announced.
Moldova has had to experience unacceptable violations of its airspace by drones and missiles from Russia - as well as attempts to exert influence to divide the population.
But the two countries also want to work together economically.
Ramelow for immigration agreement
Russia's saber rattling towards Moldova is also causing nervousness in Germany.
Another Russian invasion would mean another influx of refugees.
That's why Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left) demanded in an interview with our newspaper group that "we conclude an immigration agreement with Georgia and Moldova."
That’s why Germany needs “practical solutions and, above all, immigration offices that enable and not just sanction.”
(Leonie Hudelmaier and Peter Sieben)