Moldova, with its gentle green countryside and vineyards, is a gateway from Europe to Central Asia. For centuries, the area that currently comprises the Republic of Moldova was traded back and forth between the Romanians and Russians. In 1940 the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which divided Eastern Europe between Germany and the Soviet Union, ceded Moldova (then known as Bessarabia) to the U.S.S.R. The area was then renamed the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (M.S.S.R.)
Moldova was occupied by Romania during World War II, but the Soviets re-conquered the area in 1944. Moldova remained a Soviet Satellite until the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991. Moldova declared its independence on May 23 of that year.
Almost simultaneously, the predominantly Slavic (mostly Russian and Ukrainian) Transdniestr region asserted its autonomy from Moldova and reiterated its loyalty to Russia. Fighting between the Moldovan army and Transdniestr separatists broke out in 1992, and Russia dispatched the 14th army to quell the violence and stabilize the region. After negotiating a cease-fire, Russia reclassified its military presence as a peacekeeping force named the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transdniestr (OGRF). Approximately 2,600 Russian troops remain stationed in Transdniestr, serving as the guarantors of power for the internationally unrecognized Dnietsr Moldovan Republic (DMR). The Transdniestr issue remains contentious in Moldova, and a near-term resolution is unlikely without arbitration support from the European Union, as Russia will likely guard its remaining influence in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The Transdniestr schism indicates the importance of cultural identity in Moldova. The majority of the population (64.5 percent) speaks Moldovan - almost identical to Romanian - and strongly identifies with Romanian culture. Citizens of Ukranian descent comprise 13.8 percent of the population, while people of Russian descent make up 13 percent of the population. Many Moldovans retain a sense of Slavic identity.
The semi-autonomous region of Gagauzia, located in southern Moldova, is home to a pocket of ethnic Gagauz. Gagauz, descendants of Christian Turks who fled Ottoman persecution in the 19th century, make up approximately 3.5 percent of the population. While several different ethnic groups exist in Moldova, 98 percent of the population is of the Christian Orthodox faith.
Moldova is the first former Soviet republic to elect a communist president - Vladimir Voronin - who was initially elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. The government has adopted "pragmatic communism" which has led to policy inconsistencies. For example, Moldova is attempting to establish closer economic ties to the European Union and talks of market reforms. However, the communist government also has brought several industries under state control in the past several years.
Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, with the lowest standard of living. Travel in Moldova is difficult. The economy is riddled with corruption and hampered by policy incoherence - both of which deter much-needed foreign investment. Since coming to power, the communists have renationalized the country's largest economic sector - agriculture. This move is likely to reduce the efficiency of the sector and increase financial burdens on the state. Bringing the economy under state control seems to counter Moldova's economic priorities of maintaining high growth rates, reducing poverty levels and lowering state debt. Therefore, without improved strategic policy coherence, Moldova is likely to remain Europe's economic doormat.
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