By Eric D. Boyle *

At the turn of the millennium, many academics and pundits asked the question, “Who lost Russia?” At the time, Russia had started inching towards authoritarianism despite billions of dollars of aid given for democratic and free-market institutions. I am a little worried that people next year will start asking a similar question about Moldova. Of course, in order to lose something, you have to have it in the first place. Unfortunately, not a lot of people have yet to “find” Moldova.

Moldova is a small land-locked country squeezed between Romania and Ukraine. It is a country with an overall population less than the capital cities of most other European countries. It sits on most of Europe’s historical faultlines – the northernmost reach of the Ottoman empire; a Russian protectorate during Tsarist time; a Romanian province after World War I; snapped up by the Soviet Union as part of Stalin’s secret pact with Nazi Germany; a bufferzone of the Warsaw Pact; host of an unresolved but forgotten war with its breakaway region of Transnistria; and a young, inexperienced independent country.

To an American, Moldova has the political significance of a New Hampshire primary. It’s small enough that word of mouth is a dominant form of information dissemination. If Moldova catches onto an idea, neighboring countries will take notice. Moldovan politics are also greatly influenced by outside actors. Being one of the poorest countries in Europe, Moldova depends greatly on outside assistance: whether from the remittances of its over 1 million citizens working abroad; from Russian investment and energy subsidies; or from Western aid, loans, grants, and technical assistance.

In 2005, the Republic of Moldova Communist Party became the only bearer of the Marxist-Leninist legacy to be reelected in relatively free and fair process running on a pro-European platform. That same year, Moldova signed the Moldova-EU action plan, a broad strategic framework for promoting reform and closer integration with Europe. Just this November, Moldova became eligible to receive significant sum of development assistance through the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Despite this progress, Moldova remains a victim of its tumultuous past and a future full of uncertainty. It’s still Europe’s poorest country. Many of its migrant laborers are trafficked illegally as slaves. The Transnistrian authorities recently held a referendum asserting its unrecognized independence. A resurgent Russia has been applying all kinds of pressure on Moldova, from banning its wine (an estimated 25% of Moldova’s GDP comes from its vineyards and up to 80% of wine exports go to the Russian Federation) to increasing its energy tariffs.

2007 should be the year that West finds (or rediscovers) Moldova. Romania entered the EU in January 2007. Romanians are cultural cousins to many Moldovans and have a vital interest in a peaceful and prosperous eastern neighbor. That same month, the European Union’s much-touted but little-understood Neighborhood Policy Instrument, a tool to support neighboring countries’ reform efforts, came on line. During the year, Germany then Poland, both proponents of a more robust “eastern” policy, will take over EU presidency.

I encourage all EU and US policy makers to take a moment to find Moldova so it can never be lost. Sustained, coordinated engagement on all of Moldova’s major issues will help push Moldova to become a full-fledged member of the broader European community. That will have resonance not only for Moldova, but also for all of Europe, including others orbiting the EU.

* Eric D. Boyle is the acting Regional Vice President for Ukraine Belarus and Moldova for the Eurasia Foundation, a private foundation supporting civil society and private enterprise in the former Soviet space. More info on http://www.eurasia.org

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