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EU’s mission to Moldova aims to challenge, weaken Russia’s regional footprint — expert

On Sunday, the German weekly Welt am Sontag reported that the European Union was planning to deploy a civilian security mission to Moldova in early summer

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. The planned EU civilian security mission to Moldova will be focused primarily on challenging Russia with the aim of weakening Moscow’s position in the region, but the mission’s actual practical impact should not be exaggerated, think tank expert Andrey Kortunov, General Director of the Russian International Affairs Council, told TASS on Monday.

On Sunday, the German weekly Welt am Sontag reported that the European Union was planning to deploy a civilian security mission to Moldova in early summer. The Moldovan authorities had reportedly filed a relevant request on January 28. Last Friday, Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicolae Popescu, said the government was in talks with the EU on sending such a mission.

"We are now seeing delegations from Brussels visiting countries in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, offering their governments various avenues for expanding cooperation, but at the same time they are clearly pursuing the aim of challenging Russia and weakening its position in the region. The same applies to EU missions," Kortunov said. "That said, though, I would not exaggerate the practical importance of this mission to Moldova. The European Union is not NATO. It does not have a significant military potential and, in this sense, it is not a major geopolitical player. Rather, what we can expect to see will be a political gesture by the EU and an attempt to show the flag."

Kortunov pointed out that Moldova now enjoys the status of candidate member of the EU and, in the current situation, "Brussels simply has to do something."

The think tank head speculated that this mission may reflect the EU's concern about "soaring tensions between Russia and Moldova, the aggravation of the problem of Transnistria and the buildup of Ukrainian troops on the self-proclaimed republic’s border."

"There are many factors that could heighten political risks. In all likelihood, the EU is keen on demonstrating that it is not indifferent to Moldova’s fate and is prepared to provide maximum assistance to Chisinau," the analyst added.

Kortunov also remarked that the EU’s mission to Moldova could play a constructive role only if its work is agreed upon and carried out in concert with all other players in the region. "Otherwise, its effectiveness will fall short of expectations.".

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