Administrative divisions |
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Moldovaportal |
After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, the Republic of Moldova established relations with other European countries. A course for European Union integration and neutrality define the country's foreign policy guidelines.
In 1995, the country became the first post-Soviet state admitted to the Council of Europe. In addition to its participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, Moldova is a member state of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Francophonie and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
In 2005, Moldova and EU established an action plan that sought to improve the collaboration between the two neighboring structures. After the Transnistria War, Moldova sought a peaceful resolution to the Transnistria conflict by working with Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, calling for international mediation, and cooperating with the OSCE and UN fact-finding and observer missions. [1]
List of countries which Moldova maintains diplomatic relations with:
# | Country | Date |
---|---|---|
1 | Romania | 27 August 1991 [2] |
2 | Hungary | 16 January 1992 [2] |
3 | United Kingdom | 17 January 1992 [2] |
4 | Denmark | 20 January 1992 [2] |
5 | China | 30 January 1992 [2] |
6 | Mongolia | 30 January 1992 [3] |
7 | North Korea | 30 January 1992 [2] |
8 | South Korea | 31 January 1992 [2] |
9 | Spain | 31 January 1992 [2] |
10 | Turkey | 3 February 1992 [2] |
11 | Mexico | 4 February 1992 [2] |
12 | Bulgaria | 5 February 1992 [2] |
13 | Egypt | 13 February 1992 [2] |
14 | Guinea | 16 February 1992 [2] |
15 | Pakistan | 16 February 1992 [2] |
16 | United States | 18 February 1992 [2] |
17 | Canada | 20 February 1992 [2] |
18 | Cyprus | 21 February 1992 [2] |
19 | Italy | 21 February 1992 [2] |
20 | Finland | 26 February 1992 [2] |
21 | Ukraine | 10 March 1992 [2] |
22 | Belgium | 11 March 1992 [2] |
23 | France | 11 March 1992 [2] |
24 | Japan | 16 March 1992 [2] |
25 | Cuba | 17 March 1992 [2] |
26 | Austria | 25 March 1992 [2] |
27 | Greece | 27 March 1992 [2] |
28 | Philippines | 30 March 1992 [2] |
29 | Australia | 1 April 1992 [2] |
30 | Russia | 6 April 1992 [2] |
31 | Germany | 30 April 1992 [2] |
32 | Iran | 11 May 1992 [2] |
— | Holy See | 23 May 1992 [4] |
33 | Azerbaijan | 29 May 1992 [2] |
34 | Czech Republic | 1 June 1992 [2] |
35 | Norway | 3 June 1992 [2] |
36 | Vietnam | 11 June 1992 [2] |
37 | Burundi | 12 June 1992 [2] |
38 | Sweden | 12 June 1992 [2] |
39 | South Africa | 15 June 1992 [2] |
40 | Luxembourg | 16 June 1992 [2] |
41 | Israel | 22 June 1992 [2] |
42 | Georgia | 25 June 1992 [2] |
43 | Oman | 25 June 1992 [2] |
44 | Lithuania | 8 July 1992 [2] |
45 | Poland | 14 July 1992 [2] |
46 | Armenia | 18 July 1992 [2] |
47 | Croatia | 28 July 1992 [2] |
48 | Thailand | 5 August 1992 [2] |
49 | Nigeria | 7 August 1992 [2] |
50 | Ghana | 28 August 1992 [2] |
51 | Latvia | 1 September 1992 [2] |
52 | Switzerland | 2 September 1992 [2] |
53 | New Zealand | 11 September 1992 [2] |
54 | Kazakhstan | 16 September 1992 [2] |
55 | Morocco | 8 October 1992 [2] |
56 | Turkmenistan | 5 October 1992 [5] |
57 | Kyrgyzstan | 30 October 1992 [6] |
58 | Estonia | 10 November 1992 [2] |
59 | Belarus | 19 November 1992 [2] |
60 | Sri Lanka | 27 November 1992 [2] |
61 | Zimbabwe | 9 December 1992 [2] |
62 | Burkina Faso | 11 December 1992 [2] |
63 | Albania | 23 December 1992 [2] |
64 | Kuwait | 11 January 1993 [2] |
65 | Singapore | 15 January 1993 [2] |
66 | Tajikistan | 26 January 1993 [2] |
67 | Portugal | 10 February 1993 [2] |
68 | Indonesia | 12 February 1993 [2] |
69 | Panama | 15 February 1993 [7] |
70 | Slovakia | 16 February 1993 [2] |
71 | Argentina | 8 March 1993 [2] |
72 | Malaysia | 10 March 1993 [2] |
73 | India | 20 March 1993 [2] |
74 | Guatemala | 6 April 1993 [2] |
75 | Chile | 12 May 1993 [2] |
76 | Sudan | 17 May 1993 [2] |
77 | Syria | 20 May 1993 [2] |
78 | Madagascar | 28 May 1993 [2] |
79 | Netherlands | 10 July 1993 [2] |
80 | Nepal | 20 July 1993 [2] |
81 | Brazil | 11 August 1993 [2] |
82 | Bangladesh | 14 September 1993 [2] |
83 | Zambia | 26 October 1993 [2] |
84 | Slovenia | 27 October 1993 [2] |
85 | Nicaragua | 8 November 1993 [2] |
86 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 18 November 1993 [2] |
87 | Algeria | 12 April 1994 [2] |
88 | Lebanon | 8 June 1994 [2] |
89 | Uzbekistan | 23 August 1994 [2] |
90 | Angola | 30 September 1994 [2] |
91 | Afghanistan | 1 December 1994 [2] |
92 | Libya | 9 December 1994 [2] |
93 | North Macedonia | 27 January 1995 [2] |
94 | Yemen | 27 January 1995 [2] |
95 | Cambodia | 10 March 1995 [2] |
96 | Serbia | 15 March 1995 [2] |
97 | Iceland | 17 May 1995 [2] |
98 | Peru | 11 August 1995 [2] |
99 | United Arab Emirates | 21 December 1995 [2] |
100 | Mozambique | 17 January 1996 [2] |
101 | Venezuela | 25 April 1996 [2] |
102 | Uruguay | 14 May 1996 [2] |
103 | Malta | 3 July 1996 [8] |
104 | Bolivia | 8 July 1996 [2] |
105 | Jamaica | 9 July 1996 [2] |
106 | Saudi Arabia | 17 July 1996 [2] |
107 | Andorra | 9 October 1996 [2] |
108 | Laos | 29 May 1997 [2] |
109 | Qatar | 13 June 1997 [2] |
110 | Jordan | 19 June 1997 [2] |
111 | Colombia | 15 October 1997 [2] |
112 | Ireland | 30 September 1999 [2] |
113 | Costa Rica | 4 May 2000 [2] |
— | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 27 June 2000 [9] |
114 | Mauritius | 25 June 2001 [2] |
115 | Liechtenstein | 14 August 2001 [2] |
116 | Bahrain | 7 April 2004 [10] |
117 | Cabo Verde | 2 September 2004 [10] |
118 | Mali | 27 September 2004 [10] |
119 | Tunisia | 27 September 2004 [2] |
120 | San Marino | 28 September 2004 [10] |
121 | Brunei | 18 October 2006 [10] |
122 | Montenegro | 9 March 2007 [2] |
123 | Fiji | 7 December 2010 [2] |
124 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 29 April 2011 [2] |
125 | Paraguay | 5 May 2011 [2] |
126 | Monaco | 8 September 2011 [2] |
127 | Ecuador | 8 November 2011 [2] |
128 | Antigua and Barbuda | 18 November 2011 [2] |
129 | Solomon Islands | 4 May 2012 [10] |
130 | Maldives | 14 May 2012 [2] |
131 | Tuvalu | 17 May 2012 [10] |
132 | Mauritania | 23 May 2012 [2] |
133 | Dominica | 30 May 2012 [2] |
134 | Haiti | 7 June 2012 [2] |
135 | Gambia | 12 June 2012 [10] |
136 | Samoa | 14 June 2012 [10] |
137 | Eswatini | 21 March 2013 [2] |
138 | Suriname | 5 April 2013 [2] |
139 | Ethiopia | 24 June 2013 [2] |
140 | Guyana | 12 September 2013 [2] |
141 | El Salvador | 24 September 2013 [2] |
142 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 8 September 2017 [2] |
143 | Benin | 24 January 2018 [2] |
144 | Cameroon | 27 March 2019 [2] |
145 | Grenada | 26 June 2019 [2] |
146 | Bahamas | 15 November 2019 [2] |
147 | Barbados | 10 February 2020 [2] |
148 | Djibouti | 9 October 2020 [2] |
149 | Uganda | 23 October 2020 [2] |
150 | Saint Lucia | 3 March 2021 [2] |
151 | Dominican Republic | 30 March 2021 [2] |
152 | Senegal | 28 April 2021 [2] |
153 | Palau | 6 December 2021 [2] |
154 | Kenya | 1 March 2022 [10] |
155 | Belize | 3 August 2022 [2] |
156 | Sierra Leone | 18 August 2022 [2] |
157 | Trinidad and Tobago | 25 May 2023 [10] |
158 | Rwanda | 25 January 2024 [10] |
159 | Kiribati | 11 September 2024 [10] |
160 | Chad | Unknown [11] |
161 | Equatorial Guinea | Unknown [11] |
162 | Namibia | Unknown [11] |
Moldova aspires to join the European Union [12] and is implementing its first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) of the EU. [13]
As regards energy policy, Moldova was an observer to the treaty establishing Energy Community from the outset (2006). Following its interest in full membership, the European Commission was mandated to carry out negotiations with Moldova in 2007. In December 2009, the Energy Community Ministerial Council decided on the accession, but made it conditional to amendment of Moldova's gas law. [14] Moldova joined the Energy Community as a full-fledged member in March 2010. [15]
NATO relations with Moldova date back to 1992, when the country joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Moldova works alongside NATO allies and partner countries in a wide range of areas through the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.
The Moldovan Parliament approved the country's membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the CIS charter on economic union in April 1994. Moldova however has never participated in any military aspects of CIS, citing its neutral status.
In 1998, Moldova contributed to the founding of GUAM, a regional cooperation agreement made up of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. Although the agreement initially included a declaration of mutual defense, Moldova has since declared its disinterest in participating in any GUAM-based mutual defense initiative.
Russia continues to maintain a military presence in the Transnistrian region of Moldova, despite previous agreements with Moldova and within OSCE and CAF to withdraw its troops and ammunition.
Moldova was granted Observer Status in the Russian-led Eurasian Union in April 2017. [16]
The territory of Moldova includes the separatist Transnistria region. Transnistria had a particularly large non-Moldovan population (about 60%) and broke away from Moldova less than a year after Moldova became independent at the fall of the Soviet Union. The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic controls main part of this region, and also the city of Bender and its surrounding localities on the west bank. The international diplomatic situation with respect to the question of Transnistria determines and is determined by Moldova's relations with Russia. Russia, Ukraine, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, EU, and United States are involved at different degrees in the conflict resolution.
Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
European Union | See Moldova–European Union relations | |
NATO | See Moldova–NATO relations |
Country | Formal relations began | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Djibouti | 9 October 2020 |
| |
Egypt |
| ||
Morocco |
| ||
South Africa | 1997 |
| |
Tunisia | 27 September 2004 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 September 2004 [17]
|
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Argentina | 8 March 1993 |
|
Canada | 1992 |
|
Chile | 12 May 1993 |
|
Guatemala | 6 April 1993 |
|
Mexico | 14 January 1992 | |
United States | 25 December 1991 | See Moldova–United States relations The United States recognized the independence of Moldova on 25 December 1991, and opened an embassy in its capital, Chișinău, in March 1992. A trade agreement providing reciprocal most-favored-nation tariff treatment became effective in July 1992. An Overseas Private Investment Corporation agreement, which encourages U.S. private investment by providing direct loans and loan guarantees, was signed in June 1992. A bilateral investment treaty was signed in April 1993. A generalized system of preferences status was granted in August 1995, and some Eximbank coverage became available in November 1995. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a visit to Moldova in December 2013 to support the former Soviet republic's pro-Western moves in the face of Russian pressure. The United States remains committed to the 5+2 format as a means to resolving the Transnistria conflict. The United States supports a comprehensive settlement that affirms Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while providing a special status for Transnistria.
See also: Embassy of the United States to Moldova and Embassy of Moldova, Washington, D.C. |
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Armenia | May 18, 1992 |
|
Azerbaijan | May 18, 1992 |
|
China | December 27, 1991 | See China–Moldova relations
|
India | March 1993 | See India–Moldova relations
|
Iran |
| |
Israel | 1992 | See Israel–Moldova relations
|
Japan | 16 March 1992 |
|
Kazakhstan | 16 September 1992 |
|
Kyrgyzstan | 4 June 1992 |
|
North Korea | 30 January 1992 |
|
Qatar |
| |
South Korea | 31 January 1992 | See Moldova-South Korea relations |
Turkey | See Moldova–Turkey relations
| |
Turkmenistan | October 5, 1992 |
|
United Arab Emirates |
| |
Uzbekistan | August 23, 1994 |
|
Vietnam | 11 June 1992 |
|
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Albania | See Albania–Moldova relations | |
Austria | 25 March 1992 | See Austria–Moldova relations
|
Belarus | See Belarus–Moldova relations
| |
Belgium |
| |
Bulgaria | 5 February 1992 |
|
Croatia |
| |
Cyprus | See Cyprus–Moldova relations | |
Czech Republic | See Czech Republic–Moldova relations
| |
Denmark | See Denmark–Moldova relations
| |
Estonia | ||
Finland | See Finland–Moldova relations
| |
France |
| |
Georgia | 25 June 1992 | See Georgia–Moldova relations
|
Germany | See Germany–Moldova relations
| |
Greece | 27 March 1992 | See Greece–Moldova relations
|
Hungary |
| |
Iceland | 1995 | Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 May 1995. [35] |
Ireland | 1992 |
|
Italy | See Italy–Moldova relations
| |
Latvia | 1 September 1992 |
|
Lithuania | 8 July 1992 |
|
Malta |
| |
Netherlands | 6 September 2013 | See Moldova–Netherlands relations
|
North Macedonia | See Moldova–North Macedonia relations | |
Poland | See Moldova–Poland relations
| |
Portugal | See Moldova–Portugal relations
| |
Romania | See Moldova–Romania relations Moldova's relations with its western neighbour, Romania, have been stressed since 1994. Today's Moldova (without Transnistria) and parts of the old Bassarabia Governorate currently in Ukraine, were part of Romania during the interwar period (1918–40). Linguists generally agree that the Moldovan language is in fact identical with Romanian.[ citation needed ] However, Moldovans have been ambivalent about whether they consider themselves Romanians or Moldovans. Early signs that Romania and Moldova might unite after both countries achieved emancipation from communist rule quickly faded. Romania remains interested in Moldovan affairs, especially that country's civil conflict with the breakaway republic of Transnistria. However, the two countries have been unable to reach agreement on a basic bilateral treaty; Romania is insistent (against determined Moldovan resistance) that such a treaty would have to refer to Romania and Moldova's 'special relationship'. Beginning in 1994, the two countries enjoyed a visa-free arrangement that ended on 1 January 2007, with Romania's entry into the European Union. This prompted many Moldovan citizens to apply for Romanian citizenship. [36] | |
Russia | See Moldova–Russia relations Relations between Moldova and Russia deteriorated in November 2003 over a Russian proposal for the solution of the Transnistria conflict, which Moldovan authorities refused to accept. In the following election, held in 2005, the Communist party made a formal 180-degree turn and was re-elected on a pro-Western platform,[ citation needed ] with Voronin being re-elected to a second term as president.
| |
Serbia | 1995 | |
Slovenia | 27 October 1993 | See Moldova–Slovenia relations
|
Spain | See Moldova–Spain relations
| |
Sweden | See Moldova–Sweden relations
| |
Switzerland | 1992 | See Moldova–Switzerland relations
|
Ukraine | See Moldova–Ukraine relations | |
United Kingdom | Moldova established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 17 January 1992.
Both countries share common membership of the Council of Europe, the International Criminal Court, OSCE, and the World Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Development Partnership, [40] and a Strategic Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement. [41] |
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Australia |
| |
New Zealand |
|
The Byelorussian SSR was one of only two Soviet republics to be separate members of the United Nations. Both republics and the Soviet Union joined the UN when the organization was founded in 1945.
Foreign relations of Kazakhstan are primarily based on economic and political security consideration. The Nazarbayev administration has tried to balance relations with Russia and the United States by sending petroleum and natural gas to its northern neighbor at artificially low prices while assisting the U.S. in the War on Terror. Kazakhstan is a member of the United Nations, Collective Security Treaty Organization, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, North Atlantic Cooperation Council, Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and NATO's Partnership for Peace program. Kazakhstan established a customs union with Russia and Belarus which eventually became the Eurasian Economic Union. President Nazarbayev has prioritized economic diplomacy into Kazakhstan's foreign policy.
The history of Moldova can be traced to the 1350s, when the Principality of Moldavia, the medieval precursor of modern Moldova and Romania, was founded. The principality was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire from 1538 until the 19th century. In 1812, following one of several Russian–Turkish wars, the eastern half of the principality, Bessarabia, was annexed by the Russian Empire. In 1918, Bessarabia briefly became independent as the Moldavian Democratic Republic and, following the decision of the Parliament, united with Romania. During the Second World War it was occupied by the Soviet Union which reclaimed it from Romania. It joined the Union in 1940 as the Moldavian SSR, until the dissolution of the USSR. In 1991 the country declared independence as the Republic of Moldova.
The politics of Moldova take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, wherein the prime minister is the head of the Government of Moldova, and a multi-party system. The President of Moldova has no important powers. The government exercises executive power while the legislative power is vested in the Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The position of the breakaway region of Transnistria, relations with Romania and with Russia, and integration into the EU dominate political discussions.
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, on the northeastern corner of the Balkans. The country spans a total of 33,483 km2 (12,928 sq mi) and has a population of approximately 2.42 million as of January 2024. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria lies across the Dniester river on the country's eastern border with Ukraine. Moldova is a unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic with its capital in Chișinău, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre.
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and is its legal successor. It covers an area of 20,368,759 km2 (7,864,422 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. The CIS encourages cooperation in economic, political, and military affairs and has certain powers relating to the coordination of trade, finance, lawmaking, and security, including cross-border crime prevention.
Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a breakaway state internationally recognized as part of Moldova. It controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Moldova–Ukraine border, as well as some land on the other side of the river's bank. Its capital and largest city is Tiraspol. Transnistria is officially designated by the Republic of Moldova as the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester or as Stînga Nistrului.
Relations between the European Union (EU) and Moldova are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), an EU foreign policy instrument dealing with countries bordering its member states.
The Transnistria conflict is an ongoing frozen conflict between Moldova and the unrecognized state of Transnistria. Its most active phase was the Transnistria War. There have been several attempts to resolve the conflict, although none have been successful. The conflict may be considered as having started on 2 September 1990, when Transnistria made a formal sovereignty declaration from Moldova.
The Republic of Abkhazia is a partially recognized state in the South Caucasus which declared independence from Georgia during the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993). At the time, the Soviet Union had recently collapsed (1991).
Moldova–Russia relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation, two Eastern European, post-Soviet, ex-communist countries. Russian support for the self-proclaimed Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria) and a substantial Russian military presence therein strained Moldovan relations with Russia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of the fourteen ministries of the Government of Moldova.
Moldova–Ukraine relations are the bilateral/diplomatic/foreign relations between the sovereign states of Moldova and Ukraine. The Moldova–Ukraine border is 985 kilometers. Ukrainians are the third largest ethnic group in Moldova, behind Moldovans and Romanians. Both countries were former republics of the Soviet Union and are also the poorest countries in Europe. Both countries have applied for membership to join the European Union in 2022.
The following is timeline of the History of independent Moldova which started after the independence of Moldova.
Official relations between Moldova and NATO began in 1992 when Moldova joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. However, as Moldova's neutrality is enshrined in its constitution, there are no official plans for Moldova to join the organization.
Presidential elections were held in Moldova on 16 December 2011. The president was elected by the parliament in an indirect election. After the election on 16 December failed, a second attempt was made on 15 January 2012. However, that vote was annulled as being unconstitutional since it had not been held in a secret vote. On 16 March, parliament elected Nicolae Timofti as president by 62 votes out of 101, with the PCRM boycotting the election, putting an end to a political crisis that had lasted since April 2009.
The accession of Moldova to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU.
Moldova–Transnistria relations are the political and economic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Transnistria, an unrecognized state between the Dniester River and Ukraine. During the dissolution of the Soviet Union, political tensions in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic led to Transnistria declaring independence from Moldova, culminating in the Transnistrian War of 1992. As part of the ceasefire agreement ending the war, a Joint Control Commission composed of Moldovan, Transnistrian, and Russian forces was established to supervise the demilitarized zone which was located in the Transnistrian region. The Joint Control Commission still supervises the zone, and negotiations to resolve the dispute are ongoing. The negotiations are supported by the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Transnistria and the United States do not have official diplomatic relations as the United States is among the vast majority of countries that does not recognize Transnistria as a sovereign nation and instead recognize the region of Transnistria as part of Moldova.
The Yushchenko Plan, also referred to as the Ukrainian Plan, was a unsuccessful 2005 plan developed by then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Petro Poroshenko in an effort to bring an end to the Transnistria conflict by peaceful means with the support of Moldova and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).