HUNGARY PLAYS ROLE ASSISTING MOLDOVA'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 001079

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID RS EU HU MD
SUBJECT: HUNGARY PLAYS ROLE ASSISTING MOLDOVA'S
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Classified By: Ambassador Asif J. Chaudhry for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: In an October 27 courtesy call,
Hungarian Ambassador Gyorgy Varga discussed
Hungary's active role in assisting Moldova's
European integration. The Hungarian Ambassador
favored a firm EU decision to bring Moldova into
the EU club, and suggested giving Moldova
associate member status. Hungary seeks to play a
decisive role in Moldova and runs the unified
center for Schengen visas. End summary.

Hungary Wants to Play a Leading Role in Moldova
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2. (C) In an October 24 meeting with U.S.
Ambassador Chaudhry, Varga discussed Hungarian
efforts to assist Moldova's European integration.
He explained that Hungary had chosen to focus on
Moldova as a place where Hungary could play a
decisive role. Though strategically Ukraine
(which shares a common border) was far more
important to Hungary than Moldova, it was so
large that Hungary could have little impact.
Moldova was an easier place for Hungary to
demonstrate leadership. The role of Hungarian
citizens Kalman Mizsei as EU's Chief Negotiator
on Transnistria and General Banfi as EUBAM chief
demonstrated Hungary's activism in Moldova.


3. (C) Another Hungarian success in Moldova was
the opening in April 2007 of the unified visa
processing center. The visa center located at
the Hungarian Embassy issues Schengen visas on
behalf of eight countries: Austria, Slovenia,
Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, in
addition to Hungary. Varga expected five more
European countries would join the visa processing
center soon: Belgium, Norway, Slovakia, Finland
and Cyprus.

Varga Favors EU Associate Member Status for
Moldova
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4. (C) The U.S. Ambassador noted that GOM
officials regularly spoke of their desire to be
close to the EU and eventually join. The
Hungarian agreed that the European Union needed
to integrate Moldova. He recommended against
getting bogged down in issues such as particular
violations of media freedom, but instead favored
taking Moldova into the EU even with all its
problems. The integration process itself would
help Moldova make better decisions on these
issues, he argued.


5. (C) Varga said that he had suggested to the
Russian Ambassador that Russia had already lost
Moldova to European integration and that the most
Russia could hope to achieve was keeping Moldova
neutral. Varga claimed the Russian Ambassador
had agreed.


6. (C) Ambassador Varga suggested that the EU
should give Moldova associate member status. He
cited Hungary's thirteen-year path from associate
member to full member in 2004. Hungary needed 13
years to transform itself, Varga noted. Why not
offer Moldova associate member status now,
offering the hope that it might become a member
by 2021?

What's Holding EU Back? Russia Part of the
Problem
--------------


7. (C) Varga acknowledged that some European
countries did not support bringing Moldova into
the EU, but declined to name them. He said that
some European Ambassadors focused more on Russia
than Moldova and viewed the Russian factor as a
dangerous complication. Varga thought it
necessary to separate the issues of NATO and EU.
Without NATO membership to debate, Moldova could
be accepted more quickly into the EU, he
hypothesized. The U.S. Ambassador responded that
the West should put enough resources into Moldova
to help transform the country into a more

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prosperous one, making it easier for the EU to
accept it into the fold.


8. (C) Varga said that another problem was the
unresolved Transnistria issue, and argued that it
needed a "macro-level solution." After Georgia,
Varga believed that Russia needed to win
something. Thus, it was necessary to offer
something Russia wanted, i.e., Moldova's
neutrality. Varga was of the opinion that, if
Russia were assured that Moldova would not join
NATO, it would allow a Transnistrian settlement.
He suggested that Putin and Medvedev were
pragmatic and actually wanted to leave this
region as Russia was only losing money. One
could have dialogues with Transnistria, but it
all depended upon Moscow. Smirnov would be ready
when Moscow was ready, Varga concluded.

Hungarian Comments on Romania's Role
--------------


9. (C) Varga noted that Romania could play an
ideal role helping Moldova, but history
complicated the relationship. Varga questioned
Romania's motives behind its refusal to negotiate
and sign a border treaty with Moldova, just as it
had done with other neighbors. Instead, Romania
was only pushing to sign a more modest border
regime treaty which would not permanently
establish the border between the two countries.
The border regime treaty would only work out the
logistics of operating a border and control of
movement from one country to another. Varga also
thought that Romania could provide more
assistance to Moldova. The U.S. Ambassador
noted that a border treaty, not just a border
regime treaty, would reassure Transnistria and
Russia that Moldova would not join Romania.

Hungarian Assistance Projects in Moldova
--------------


10. (C) Ambassador Varga also described Hungarian
assistance projects in Moldova: helping Moldova
create an ombudsman for data protection, inviting
Constitutional Court members to study the
Hungarian experience, and hosting young Moldovan
politicians to see Hungarian political practices.

Comment
--------------


11. (C) As a neighbor that has already carried
out reforms and joined the EU, Hungry has a lot
to offer Moldova, and provides a good model for
successful transformation. We agree with
Ambassador Varga that the firm prospect of EU
membership would spur Moldova to undertake its
most difficult reforms. Moldova's political and
economic leaders would have EU membership as the
reason for cutting into the profits and influence
of entrenched interests, for cleaning up law
enforcement, for reducing influential people's
"privileged" access to judges for solving cases,
and for making government decision-making more
transparent. Without a promise of EU membership,
Moldova's leaders - who already do well for
themselves - will feel little real need to clean
up the judiciary or stem official bribe-taking or
allow media to report unhindered.

CHAUDHRY