When Moldova gained its independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States was one of the first nations to establish diplomatic relations with the new country, opening an embassy in the capital city of Chisinau in 1992. Since then, the two nations have enjoyed unbroken good relations.
Moldova is the second smallest and most densely populated of the former Soviet republics, as well as one of Europe’s poorest countries. Like many of the other nations that once formed part of the Soviet Union, Moldova has experienced economic and other problems since gaining independence.
According to the U.S. State Department, Moldova has little industrial development, with industry employing only about 15 percent of the nation’s labor force. Another 40 percent works in the agriculture industry, which has been hit hard by Russia banning imports of Moldovan agricultural products and a serious drought in the summer of 2007.
The United States has provided financial aid aimed at helping the young nation build stability and prosperity.
The Moldovan Embassy in Washington reported that 50 percent of the foreign economic assistance flowing into Moldova comes from the United States. For fiscal year 2005 — the latest data available — the estimated total was $21.7 million. U.S. aid has been allocated primarily for four purposes: supporting democracy, market reform, security and law enforcement and humanitarian programs.
Millennium Challenge
In 2006, Moldova became eligible to participate in the Millennium Challenge, a program sponsored by the United States and designed to “reward those countries which were helping themselves, showing positive results in democracy building, investing in their citizens and stemming corruption,” according to U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Michael Kirby.
Kirby said the financial benefit to Moldova could reach as high as “a few hundreds of millions of dollars.”
In addition to assisting Moldova’s economy, the United States has also played an ongoing role in a dispute involving a strip of land known as Transnistria, which lies between the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border.
Shortly after Moldova was officially separated from the Soviet Union, residents of the mainly Russian-speaking Transnistria declared their independence from Moldova. In an armed conflict in 1992, as many as 700 people were killed before a cease-fire was declared.
Settling conflicts
In the intervening years, Russia has kept troops in the region over the protests of the Moldovan government. The United States has advocated a resolution to the conflict that favors Moldova’s sovereignty and removes the Russian troops from the area. In an interview with the Moldovan state news agency commemorating 15 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Moldova, Deputy Premier Andrei Stratan said the United States has been “one of Moldova’s most reliable partners in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process.”
As extensive as the help from the United States has been, the partnership has not been just a one-way relationship. In spite of internal difficulties, Moldova has been a strong supporter of the United States. Since the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, Moldova has participated in international efforts to combat terrorism, including sending units to Iraq to help in removing mines and act as peacekeepers.
Beginning in 2007, a new policy allowed Americans to travel to Moldova without visas.
The positive relations between the United States and Moldova show no signs of eroding in the near future. According to Stratan, “I am sure that our intense cooperation with the USA will continue and will develop. … We still have much to do, and we rely on (the) USA’s support.”
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