PRESIDENT OF MOLDOVA DISCUSSES CORRUPTION AND REFORM ISSUES WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICIALS

On Tuesday, Moldova President Igor Dodon received a delegation from the U.S. Department of State and discussed with them questions of cooperation between the two countries, of struggle against corruption and reform implementation in the republic.

The American delegation was led by Jorgan K. Andrews, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and included Alan Purcell, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). The conversation was attended by the United States Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Moldova, Dereck Hogan.

The President wrote on his Facebook page afterwards: “In the course of the talk, we touched on various aspects of our bilateral cooperation in many spheres presenting mutual interest, including the consolidation of a law-governed state, the quality of state management, implementation of reforms and other. I stressed that the strategic dialog, built by our countries, provides for substantial possibilities for further deepening of the bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and the United States. I welcomed the activities of the profiled working groups created within the framework of the strategic dialog”, wrote Igor Dodon.

The President expressed gratitude to the United States for its support in the promotion of the judiciary reform, struggle against corruption and in the strengthening of the institutional capacities of the ministries of government and other state agencies in the Republic of Moldova.

Igor Dodon further wrote that the judiciary reform implementation and struggle against corruption are among the top priorities of the incumbent Moldovan leadership. He emphasized that these priority tasks will be put into life consistently and transparently, in conformity with the model approved by external partners, the Moldovan civil society, system professionals as well as political forces – the power and the opposition. The President assured that the incumbent Moldovan authorities have been resolutely tuned to realization of all Moldova’s commitments to external partners.

In his Facebook report, Igor Dodon did not mention if he discussed with the American delegation the question of extradition from the USA of Moldovan fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, who President Dodon promised to bring back home in handcuffs. Yesterday, Ambassador Derek Hogan stated that American personal sanctions against Plahotniuc should promote the struggle against corruption in Moldova.

Earlier, experts pointed out that the US decision concerning Plahotniuc became a surprise for the Moldovan authorities, “who are apprehending revelations from the oligarch, so they are not rushing to bring him to responsibility”.

On January 13, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote: “Today, I am designating former Moldovan official and oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc due to his involvement in significant corruption. In his official capacity, Plahotniuc was involved in corrupt acts that undermined the rule of law and severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions in Moldova”. According to the United States legislation, once the Secretary of State designates officials of foreign governments for their involvement, directly or indirectly, in significant corruption, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for visas to the United States.