Romanian ambassador to Moldova, His Excellency Mr. Daniel Ionita was kind enough to grant an interview for Deschide.MD portal. An interview in which we discuss Romania's parliamentary elections to be held on Sunday, December 11th. We also talk about the action plan approved by Supreme Council of National Defence (Bucharest) regarding the relations with Moldova, the less friendly relationship with the president-elect - Igor Dodon, as well as his non-participation at the reception organized by the Embassy on the occasion of National Day of Romania. In the final part of the interview you will see a retrospective of the projects implemented by the Government from Bucharest, in Moldova and we announce future projects implemented on the Romanian taxpayers' money, which will leave "fingerprints" in the lives of citizens on the left bank of Prut.

— The parliamentary elections will be held on Sunday in Romania. At what stage are the preparations for these elections? Is there a risk to form queues like at the last election?

— This year, elections introduced some novelties compared to how the elections were conducted in previous years: at the actual voting procedure and counting stage. It's a system which prevents multiple voting. The first stop in the polling station will be at the person who will check Romanian IDs, with a tablet that has installed a special program. The counting procedure will be filmed, because the legislature thought of ensuring full transparency.

As far as we are concerned, our role is rather of organizing these elections. We did everything that depended on us to dare to hope that the lessons of the past have been learned, and the one who will go to vote at one of the 35 wards in Moldova, he would be able to do this civilized, with decent time of waiting in line and in full respect of democratic standards. We received from home all the ballots in sealed packages. We have the nominal list of the presidents in all 35 polling stations which we will organize. I bought all the necessary supplies. I ordered the voting booths.

I spoke with the Moldovan authorities from which we obtained, on the one hand, the agreement of organizing these elections. On the other, we got the support that these elections will not encounter any difficulties. I take this opportunity to thank from my heart all those who helped us in this regard. We will use for our voting stations and the ballot boxes used by Moldova in recent elections, because these urns respond, broadly, to the standards. So we save some cash from Bucharest. I have contracted with all service providers: cellular network, Internet access. Thus, we are in full process of preparing...

— One piece of election news this year is the vote by correspondence. How receptive were citizens residing in Moldova to this new possibility?

— Out of applications filed 2446 by the Embassy of Romania in order to register in the permanent electoral record, only 880 were from individuals who wanted express their vote by correspondence. It depends on how we relate from 0 to 880 mean, however, a substantial figure. Instead, 880 of the number of all citizens voting in Moldova, reveals rather a modest figure. Consequently, all those who do not have this option selected for voting shall have to be present at one of the polling stations which we will organize in Moldova. And those who have registered at the vote by mail are prohibited from attendance at any of the polling stations from Romania or Moldova.  

— How important is - for Romania and the political environment in Bucharest - the Diaspora vote from Moldova?

— We have, with Moldova, a relationship of heart. A relationship based on community of language, tradition, history. I believe that all the Romanian citizens who are in the Republic of Moldova, including the option to express their vote for the Parliament in Bucharest. Thus, the parliamentary institution can have more visibility, more substance and more confidence - of which I am convinced, will benefit the citizens of Moldova as well.

— There are hundreds of thousands of Moldovans who have Romanian citizenship and, respectively, the right to vote. What is your message to them in the context of the elections on Sunday?

— To come out and vote. But before that, to be informed of the procedure, the addresses of polling stations and the documents needed for this process. I use the occasion to refer to the documents on which you can vote. For the Romanian citizens residing in Moldova: the vote can be made through the passport. For those residing in Moldova and domicile in Romania: the vote may be exercised by any ID; however, those instruments must be duplicated and by a proof of residence in Moldova.

— Last week, the CSAT approved an action plan in the medium and long terms of relationship with Moldova. What does exactly implie this document?

— The document is confidential and I could not point out to you some concrete action from its content. I can tell you about the philosophy that was behind the plan. I am glad, by the way, that you used "action plan" rather than "strategy" or another term. In this plan it starts from a concrete reality, given the broad scope of cooperation programs which take place now, between Romania and Moldova. From here it has been established certain paths of future actions, based on which the Bucharest wants to ensure that Moldova's European course is irreversible. Romania believes that Moldova has only one path to follow and it is called "the European Union". On the other hand, we know that this way requires some effort and resources. Or, to to accomplish this journey you need strong institutions, people who know the mechanisms, the support of these people and programs/concrete cooperation projects, through which sectoral expertise can be transferred to colleagues across the Prut. Romania has undertaken honestly this action plan. It is perhaps the best partner that Moldova may have on its path towards the EU. We can share our experience of integration; so this is not about desire to give lessons to anyone. We do not sit in this position, to give lessons. But we are in a position to talk openly and put all options on the table, following the final responsibility of decisions, acts to be exclusively held by Chisinau authorities. Through this plan, we do not want at all to assume that what we cannot accomplish. On the contrary, we wish that our actions to be more programmatic, more success-oriented and to reach all citizens of Moldova. I usually say that Moldovan citizens are my dearest and I want to get to them with everything that we do. And we do not do a little, we do quite a lot.

— The Bucharest relationship with the new elected president of Moldova apparently is not very welcomed. The document anticipates some action from Romania in the sense of this relationship?

— I saw, to my surprise, and these speculations in the press, inclusively that the CSAT has held an emergency meeting to adopt a management plan of Mr. Igor Dodon. Is not like this at all. I want to tell you that this idea was put on the Agenda of CSAT some months before. The meeting was an ordinary one, not extraordinary, and the action plan would be approved regardless of who had won the presidential election in Moldova. The Bucharest would like to send a very clear message, which should be received correctly and on this side of the Prut: As long as Moldova will continue its European course, Romania will be there.

— By the way, the elected President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon did not honor your invitation at the reception on the occasion of Romania's National Day. Instead, he attended the concert of a Russian singer, which took place on the same evening. Do you think that this gesture sends a message? How will you work the relationship with him after this beginning of the institutional relationship?

— I said it before: I met with Mr. Dodon, before the presidential election and I tend to believe that further dialogue will be civilized and constructive. Based on mutual respect, but also on understanding of our full functions and duties. I want to be an ambassador in full compliance with diplomatic norms and customs. Romania has no problem with respecting the integrity, sovereignty and independence of Moldova. I would remind you that Romania was the first country to recognize the declaration of independence adopted by the authorities in Chisinau. And I would remind you that everything that we do for Moldova aims to strengthen the institutions and improve the lives of Moldovan citizens.

Returning to the question of non-participation of Igor Dodon, at the reception, I called him (just like other important leaders) to make sure that he received the invitation. I do not comment the elected president's decision. I am convinced that the agenda reasons may not have allowed him to accept our invitation. I would not dramatize this situation and I would not say that I took some lessons for the future.

— In 2019 Romania will hold the EU presidency. How could Chisinau profit from this, given the special relationship that exists between the two countries?

— For Romania, it will be a test of our managerial capacity at European level. We are convinced: the international context will be very difficult. If certain rumors will materialize, Romania will be forced to handle an unprecedented situation at European level, by then the process of actual output of Britain from the EU will be probably complete, a process of extensive European reverberation. The authorities in Bucharest have fully realized this and have already taken all necessary measures to ensure that we are all prepared. And when I say "all" I mean both external diplomatic service and at the national plan, because the European issue is already for us, a domestic one. This means that practically all domestic institutions of Romania - ministries, specialized agencies - will need to form teams able to lead international negotiations on their specific cases, something that apparently sounds easy enough, but in practice is particularly difficult to realize. The main role of the president is to find a consensus all the time, or at a table of 28 voices that sing the same song, however, sometimes at different instruments, it is very difficult to keep the general melodic line.

How should profit Moldova? I think that regardless of this mandate, Moldova will have to take full advantage of Romania's willingness to share their experiences, both good and bad. Moldova will have to complete the reform plans, which it has undertaken. Moldova will have to continue on this good path of credibility of its European road, which obviously has an external component, but also a domestic one - and perhaps a more important one. Moldova will have to act to increase the trust of ordinary citizens in the European course. We know that this is a very difficult route. And if this year we have witnessed a series of breakthroughs in many fields, next year I'm afraid it will be more difficult, because there we will need to implement many laws adopted recently.

— Please do the hindsight of the projects that Romania is implementing in Moldova.

— It is impossible to give you as an example even an area where there is no cooperation between authorities in Romania and Moldova. Some of them concerns the responsibility of the central government or local governments. Our cooperation is extended. Sure, some projects have a higher degree of visibility and they have penetrated the hearts and minds of the citizens here. One such example is the one who takes for the renovation of kindergartens in Moldova. Half of the kindergartens were renovated here from the money of Romania, and in some places the most beautiful building in the area is, at the most serious, the renovated kindergarten with the money offered by the Romanian Government. We should not be afraid to admit this truth. Secondly, the program on scholarships granted to Moldovan youth, not at all in small numbers: there are about 5000. We believe it is an excellent opportunity for them to do their studies in an European space and thus to open them other opportunities. We wish that these young people to return to Moldova and to contribute to the welfare of this country. There is also SMURD lifesaving project in Moldova. I attend these days at the inauguration of a new hall at the Institute of Mother and Child, renovated as well with the money of the Romanian Government. We have cultural programs that leave imprints in this cultural landscape of Chisinau. Go to the Museum of Arts and, if you will not like the Dadiani Hall, we take this blame! ... There are other projects in progress, but the most important are the projects that will contribute to a physical connection of Moldova at the European space. I mean the energy infrastructure projects, which have been registered significant developments. I hope that by 2018 we will have good news regarding the functioning at the projected parameters of the pipeline Iasi-Chisinau-Ungheni. We are in advanced stages of feasibility studies of energy interconnection projects. There are over 1000 companies with Romanian capital, which have businesses in Moldova, and our annual bilateral trade exceeds the number of one billion dollars. It is a lot of a little, you tell!

— You said in an interview for TVR, that the Romanian Government will donate a new batch of minibuses. When it will happen and how many it will be?

— There have been allocated for this project about three million euros from the Romanian Government, from which will be procured 100 school buses. The auction is ongoing and at the beginning of 2017 they are scheduled to arrive in Chisinau. Four of these buses will be equipped for people with disabilities.

— Another priority announced by the authorities from Bucharest was the promotion of Romanian language press in Moldova. You, as the ambassador, are you satisfied with the efforts made to create this common communication area, declared at Bucharest?

— I do not have a very clear unit to tell you whether they are or not satisfied. An ambassador can never be satisfied with that what he has now. You should always have high ambitions to succeed to realize what you had planned. It depends on how you look at this reality. We do not operate with black and white areas, but we're trapped in a shade of gray. We operate in a unique communicational space: the same history, the same language, the same traditions, but not all stations from Moldova can be seen everywhere in Romania and vice versa. Many news channels have managed to cross the Prut River, but if it is to speak from personal experience, my subscription to television is one of the companies operating on the market here. The company that gives me about 200 channels, of which about 20 are in Romanian. But it is not easy to find them in the program schedule. Certain channels that I watched with pleasure in Romania and which are transmitted in Moldova, can be found on channels like 148 or 2015 ... it's good that they are transmitted here, but it is bad that they are not placed in a logical thread and it's hard to find them.