Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 24 April 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 26 April 2006. It was answered by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 May 2006 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Moldova

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the ability of opposition politicians in Moldova to operate without (a) intimidation, (b) harassment and (c) threats of legal action; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Respect for democracy, freedom of expression and the rule of law are principles which form the foundation for UK and EU co-operation with Moldova. They are also principles to which Moldova is committed through its participation in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organisations. Moldova has made some progress towards becoming a functioning democracy, with active opposition parties represented in Parliament. However, the OSCE's Office for Democracy and Institution for Human Rights identified a number of shortcomings in the conduct of the 2005 parliamentary elections, including obstruction of the opposition's campaign. Recent reports have also raised concerns about interference by the Moldovan authorities in the work of opposition political parties. Through the EU troika, we have raised our concerns about these issues, most recently with the Moldovan Foreign Minister at the EU-Moldova Co-operation Council on 6 April. We will continue to monitor Moldova's progress towards meeting its democratic commitments, including through the European Neighbourhood Policy, which offers Moldova the opportunity to achieve its ambition of closer relations with the EU, subject to progress on internal reform.

Secondary information