PRESIDENT DODON LOOKING FORWARD TO MOLDOVA'S BECOMING EAES OBSERVER

On Monday, Moldova will receive the status of observer in the Eurasian Economic Union [of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, EAES]. Such decision will be taken later today at the EAES Council meeting being held in Sochi city (southern Russia).

Moldovan President Igor Dodon wrote on his Facebook page that he had left for Sochi to attend the summit meeting. On its sidelines, he will hold bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, as well as with the new Prime Minister of Armenia.

Influential Moscow newspaper Kommersant wrote on Monday that the observer status will not bring a particular practical use to Moldova, but its President Igor Dodon will be able to play a 'Eurasian card' at the forthcoming parliamentary election due in late-2018. According to the publication, in Sochi the heads of the delegations will first sign a Protocol on the EAES observer status, will determine the observer's rights and duties, and then will sign a decision on granting such status to the Republic of Moldova. This will equip the Moldovan President with the right to attend EAES Summits, though without the right to influence on decision-making.

"The observer status will not give any economic advantages to Chisinau. According to the draft Regulation approved in August 2017 and published on the website of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the status enables the plenipotentiary representatives of an observer state to be present, on an invitation, at the sittings of EAES bodies, to receive the documents adopted by the bodies, if only the papers are not confidential", wrote Kommersant.

The newspaper article also said the draft Regulations stipulated that the observer state must refrain from any actions that can inflict damage to the interests of the Eurasian Economic Union or its Member States.

"Igor Dodon will hardly be able to fulfill the latter condition, even if it remains in the final version of the document. The thing is, the state power system in Moldova is built in such a way that the President can influence on only very few things. Decisions are taken by the Government calling itself pro-Western headed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who is the deputy chairman of the ruling Democratic Party. But the real master of the Cabinet and the republic is the DP Chairman, oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc. In December 2017 Plahotniuc was arrested in absentia by the Basmannii Court of Moscow [see below]", said the article.

Kommersant believes that the value of the EAES observer status should be regarded in a pre-election context.

Alexei Tulbure, Moldova's former Permanent Representative at the Council of Europe and the United Nations, stated to Kommersant: "Dodon has repeatedly promised a cardinal improvement of Moldo-Russian relations and raising them up to the level of strategic partnership. Presently the relations have reached - not through Dodon's fault but due to his total non-resistance - their lowest point since the 1992 armed conflict on the Dniester. The receiving of the EAES observer status will let Igor Dodon enter on his 'advantages side' this "achievement" - useless for Moldova but bringing a certain electoral potential because the idea of approximation with Russia is still quite popular in our country".

This point of view is shared by Vladislav Kulminschi, the Executive Director of the Moldovan Institute of Strategic Initiatives.

"The observer status in the EAES should let President Dodon expose his being pro-Russian. For him, this is a possibility to receive several precious photographs with President Putin that determining Dodon's rating in Moldova. The President cannot boast of whatever serious work results over the period of his staying in power [since December 2016]. Therefore, Russia's support is a key factor of his domestic popularity. As for practical consequences of the observer status, they are not great: the Moldovan Parliament and Government stand against this idea".

Infotag's dossier: Last December, the Basmannii Court of Moscow [first-instance] ruled to arrest in absentia the almighty Moldovan oligarch and ruling Democratic Party leader Vlad Plahotniuc and to announce him as an internationally wanted person.