WASHINGTON—Today the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe announced the following briefing:
Georgia 2008, Ukraine 2014: Is Moldova Next?
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
12:00 p.m.
Capitol Visitor Center, Room 268
North Congressional Meeting Room
Russia’s annexation of Crimea has raised concerns that a scenario whereby Russia annexes Transnistria, Moldova’s secessionist region, is a very realistic possibility. Similar to Russia’s de facto annexation of Georgia’s two secessionist regions and Ukraine’s Crimea, Russia’s aggression against Moldova would be occurring as citizens of Moldova are considering accession to the major Euro-Atlantic institutions. The Transnistria “Parliament” has called for Russia to annex Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova.
The briefing offers a timely opportunity to examine Russia’s intentions with regard to Transnistria and Moldova given President Putin’s recent assertion to President Obama that Transnistria remains under an economic blockade and that the residents of the region suffer severe hardships as a result. This was the principal justification advanced by Russia at the OSCE during 2008, shortly before Russia provoked Georgia into military action.
The following panelists are scheduled to participate:
- Mr. Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
- Mr. Eugen Carpov, Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, Minister for Reintegration
- Mr. Paul Goble, Specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia; Editor of “Window on Eurasia”
- Dr. Stephen Blank, Senior Fellow, American Foreign Policy Council, formerly, Professor of Russian National Security Studies at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College
