Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHISINAU806
2009-10-19 07:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Chisinau
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR AND MCC VP DISCUSS MCC

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM KTIP MD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3172
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHCH #0806/01 2920748
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 190748Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8491
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 000806 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KTIP MD
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND MCC VP DISCUSS MCC
COMPACT WITH NEW PM FILAT

CHISINAU 00000806 001.2 OF 002


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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 000806

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KTIP MD
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND MCC VP DISCUSS MCC
COMPACT WITH NEW PM FILAT

CHISINAU 00000806 001.2 OF 002


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


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador and MCC Vice
President Darius Teter met with Prime Minister
Vlad Filat on October 28. The meeting focused on
the way forward in concluding a Compact agreement
by the end of the calendar year. VP Teter informed
Filat of the conditions Moldova must fulfill in a
Compact agreement and outlined his planned
meetings with GoM officials. Filat said he
understood how a bad TIP ranking could sabotage
the MCC Compact and pledged to take action. End
Summary.

Moldova Grateful for USG Help and Pledges Reform
-------------- ---


2. (C) In an October 7 meeting, Prime Minster Vlad
Filat thanked the Ambassador and MCC Acting Vice
President for Compact Development Darius Teter for
USG assistance and support. Filat pledged that
the GoM was committed to significant reforms but
said the GoM needed assistant to implement them.
In delineating challenges to the new government,
the Prime Minister noted that combating TIP and
corruption and ensuring basic freedoms for all
Moldovans were high on the ambitious agenda.
Filat also underlined that the GoM would ensure
transparency in the implementation of all
international donor programs in Moldova and
guarantee that every dollar was spent efficiently.

What Moldova Needs to Do
--------------


3. (C) VP Teter presented the timeline for Compact
negotiations in order to reach a final agreement
by the end of the calendar year and outlined the
need to establish a negotiating team to travel to
Washington, DC soon. He noted that Moldova would
have to meet two administrative conditions to
enable the full implementation of the Compact over
the five-year life of the program. Moldova would
need to complete the progress already made in
passing a water-user regulation law and
demonstrate improvement in the administration of
the road maintenance regime by setting aside
adequate funds. Finally, the VP noted that the
MCC Board would closely follow developments in
combating TIP in Moldova.


4. (C) Filat responded that he was personally
committed to combating trafficking because it was
"a moral issue" for Moldova. Regarding the
establishment of a team for negotiating with MCC,
the Prime Minister stated that he would work
closely with his ministers to name a capable,
fully empowered team. The Ambassador also raised
the possibility of Filat planning a trip to
Washington to coincide with the signing of the
Compact in early December. (Note: the PM had
previously expressed a desire to visit Washington
before the end of the year. End Note)

MCC Agenda in Chisinau and GoM Support
--------------


5. (C) VP Teter explained that he planned to meet
with the Ministers of Agriculture, Economy,
Environment, Finance, Transport, and the State
Minister to inform these new government officials
of the next steps in negotiating a final Compact
agreement. He noted that the new government
needed to understand that the Compact had been
worked out over the past 2.5 years and included
substantial data from feasibility and
environmental studies and reviews of the economic
rate of return for various components. Filat
informed the Ambassador and VP Teter that the
weekly cabinet meeting would follow later that
morning and he would instruct his government to
support reaching a Compact agreement.

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


6. (C) The new Prime Minister expressed his
gratitude to the USG for support and commitment to

CHISINAU 00000806 002.2 OF 002


guaranteeing successful Compact negotiations.
Despite murmurs that the new Minster of
Agriculture, Valeru Cosarciuc, had some concerns
about the agriculture component of the Compact, VP
Teter's meeting later in the day with him was a
welcome "breath of fresh air" in comparison to
meetings with the previous Minister. Cosarciuc
did voice concerns regarding the access to credit
program in the Compact but this has been an issue
of discussion within MCC. MCC and Embassy staff
speculated that Filat instructed the Cabinet to
move ahead with full support for the Compact
earlier in the day.

CHAUDHRY