All Eyes Are on Moldova: Critical Developments in the EU Borderland

Minority Issues Research Institute (MIRI) is organizing a conversation with Dr Octavian Ticu (The Institute of History, Academy of Science of the Republic of Moldova) and Ecaterina Sheikh (Member of the Moldovan Diaspora in the US) on the recent critical developments in Moldova. 

The young East European country of Moldova has a rich history and an important geostrategic location. The country lies between the Romanian Carpathian Mountains in the West and the plains of Ukraine in the north and east, further extending deep into Russia. It is part of the Black Sea basin, in which Moldova reaches two large rivers. In 2002, Moldova was granted candidate status by the European Union (EU), and at the end of 2023, they began formal accession talks. An open path to the EU also provided formerly neutral countries a way to further orient themselves towards a more comprehensive Euro-Atlantic integration, including military cooperation and coordination with NATO. Yet, there is a serious challenge that Moldova is facing being that it has its Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria on its border with Ukraine. The ongoing Russian Ukrainian aggression which caused thousands of Ukrainian people affected by the war to seek refuge in Moldova has the potential to cause serious strain to the Moldovan economy and increase internal political tensions. Despite all those challenges in and around Moldova, there is not much information about the country from the Moldavian perspective available to a wider public. Recognizing this problem the Minority Issues Research Institute (MIRI) invited Dr Octavia Ticu from the Institute of History, Academy of Science of the Republic of Moldova to help us understand the political and historical context of Moldova and its current issues and Ecaterina Sheikh a member of Moldovan Diaspora in the US, who will talk about the perceptions, concerns and hopes of the Moldovan diaspora in light of the anticipated transitional difficulties.

Speakers:

Dr Octavian Ticu (The Institute of History, Academy of Science of the Republic of Moldova)

Ecaterina Sheikh (Member of Moldavian Diaspora in the US)

Moderator:

Dr Mirsad Kriještorac (Minority Issues Research Institute, SK)

This seminar is organized by the Minority Issues Research Institute (MIRI).