POLICY

Home policy

- About 90 representatives of international diplomatic organizations, accredited in the Republic of Moldova, took part in the "Annual supper with the President", for the first time organized in Chisinau. It was held on 1 June 2000 in the Palace of Republic.
- The Law about the alteration of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova came into effect on 28 July introducing a new era in the republic. Thus, Moldova became the first parliamentary republic in the CIS territory.
- The special plenary sitting of the High Assembly was opened on 1 December at 10 o'clock a.m., where the election of the new Moldovan President happened. Two candidatures were nominated for this high post. One of them is the Communist Party leader - Vladimir Voronin, the other one is the Head of the Constitution Court - Pavel Barbalat. No competitor won in the first round of elections as well as in the second one.
- On 22 December, the President of the Republic of Moldova appealed to the Constitutional Court, asking to interpret a number of items of the Constitution articles concerning the procedure of the possible dissolution of the Parliament caused by its incapability to elect a new Moldovan President.
- The Constitutional Court considered the inquiry of the President Petru Lucinschi about his right to dissolve the Parliament. It came to a decision that the President of the Republic of Moldova not only has this right but also must do it under the current Constitution and electoral law. The majority of the parliamentarians had boycotted the special sitting of the first round of the presidential election second attempt on 21 December.
- The President of the Republic of Moldova Petru Lucinschi set his hand on a document about the dissolution of the Parliament on 31 December 2000. Considering the Parliament had failed to elect a President, in compliance with the procedure and terms under the present Constitution and the verdict of the Constitutional Court N 4 of 26 December 2000, the Moldovan President issued the Decree about the dissolution of the acting Parliament from 12 January. This document defines the data of the new Parliament elections appointed for 25 February 2001.
- The Constitutional Court declared incompetent amendments to the Electoral Code, made by the Moldovan Parliament. According to these Amendments, the parties having two-year registration term could only take part in the elections.

Transdniestria

- The international conference devoted to the settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict was held on March 24 in Kiev, INTERLIC News agency reports. It was organized by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the OSCE mission in Moldova.
- The Summit of the leadership of the Republic of Moldova and Transdniestrian administration was held on May 16 in Tiraspol, INTERLIC News agency reports. The sides discussed the proposals on Transdniestria's status, economic issues, the ensuring of the activity of foreign investors of the Moldovan railways and the need for the reciprocal recognition of documents. The representatives of Ukraine and Russia, as well as the OSCE mission in Chisinau participated in the meeting.
- The newspaper "Pridnestrovie" published on 5 July the law about alterations of the region Constitution, radically changed the principles of relations of all the Transdniestrian branches of power. Self-proclaimed TMR from that time became the presidential republic.
- The forming of a new government has been completed in the republic. Altogether, there are sixteen ministries in the region now. The number of the state officials is approximately reduced down to 50 or 70 percent, according to the head of the Transdniestrian administration Igor Smirnov.

Foreign policy

- The governmental delegation of the Republic of Moldova, which is currently on a working visit in the USA, had a number of important meetings. Within the framework of the meeting, two documents were signed. They are the framework agreement about the Moldovan Government cooperation with the American Bank of "Export-Import" and the cooperation agreement with the American Fund of Research and Development. It stipulates funding of about 3 million dollars for support of the Moldovan scientists and researches as well as the creation of the Association of Research in the citizenship field.
- PACE supported Moldova's joining the Stability Pact in the southeast Europe.
- The delegation of Moldova led by vice-minister Lidia Gutu, took part in the special session of the UN General Assembly that had place on 5-9 June in New-York City. The forum motto: "Women in the year 2000: equality of sexes, development and peace in the XXI century."
- Russia is interested in the all-sufficient Moldova. The Moldovan President Petr Lucinschi and the Russian President Vladimir Putin did not conceal their satisfaction with the less-than-two-day meeting results.
- The Moldovan Parliament adopted the Law on the ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Moldova and the UN about the measures on acceleration of import, export and transit of loads of humanitarian aid and the personnel belongings.
- The Head of the IMF mission, the adviser of the European Fund Department II Richard Haas spoke out his appreciation to the actions of the Dumitru Bragis's cabinet.
- The millennium summit happened in New York City that was held under the auspices of the UN. More than 150 leaders of governments and states participated in it. The President of Moldova Petru Lucinschi was among them.

CELEBRATIONS

- The Vice Premier Lidia Gutu presented the birth-certificate and premium of 5 000 lei on behalf of the government to Lilia and Veaceslav Cocul - the parents of Anatol, the child to have been born in the first moments of the New year who is officially recognized in Moldova as "Child-2000".
- The President of Moldova Petru Lucinschi was officially given the premium of "Pilgrim of Peace" for 1999. He was awarded for his considerable tribute in the development of friendship and international cooperation.
- The Academician Andrei Andries who is the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova, handed over the Diploma of Gratitude and the coat of arms of the institution led by him, to the Professor of Seville University (Spain) Morelli Garsia. It is recognition for the rendered support to the Moldovan science. A year before, the course "Ginecologie" was excellently published in the Moldovan language. Its author is Academician Gheorghe Paladi.
- The grand meeting of the supreme legislative body of Moldova dedicated to the 10-year anniversary of the election of the first democratic parliament of Moldova. This event took place on 15 April 1990.
- The Republic of Moldova celebrated the fifth anniversary of its being entered as a member of the Council of Europe. Moldova was the first ex-Soviet republics to be affiliated with this authoritative international organization.
- "The Golden European Cup for Quality (The Prize of the New Millennium)-2000" was awarded to the Moldovan Steel Works. The Cup owner can use its emblem in advertisements, put the materials about the enterprise in the information network of the International Club, is given access to the database.
- The 6-year anniversary of administrative-territorial area Garauz Eri was celebrated on 19-20 August in Comrat and the region settlements. The self-government of Gagauzia declared in August 1990, was confirmed by the Moldovan Parliament on 25 December 1994.
- The activity of the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova was appreciated by the international rating agency FITCHIBÑA, one of the four largest rating agencies all over the world. "Eximbank" was the next to be given the appreciation.
- The chairman of the Parliament subcommittee on ecology, academician Ion Dedu was registered in the "Golden Book of the World on the Verge of the Millennium", where his biography is given together with the information about his vast tribute in the science development for the mankind welfare. In addition to that, Ion Dedu was presented the Big Gold Medal.
- 9 golden, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals are the total of the Moldovan scientists' participation in the 28 International Exhibition Salon "Technical Inventions and Up-to-date Technologies" that took place in Geneva (Switzerland). The Moldova was represented with 37 works in this forum.

ECONOMY

- The volume of the Moldovan production export constituted 374.2 million dollars, increased by 8.5 million dollars or 2.3% comparing with the last year analogous period.
- The President of the Republic of Moldova signed the degree stipulating the organization of the national strategy about the production of the agricultural products on ecologically safe technologies and sale of these products.
- Moldova got a good chance to enlarge the dated fleet of tractors of agricultural complex with the new up-to-date tractors. The Agreement about creation of Japan-Moldovan leasing firm on the sale of the agricultural machinery for Moldova.
- The Republic of Moldova has a negative trade balance - $125.7 million.
- In the total amount of the Moldovan export for the first half-year 2000, the ware of the group of "rations, beverage food, tobacco and products whereof" dominates as usual. They comprise almost half of all the export dealings.
- The Commercial Information Centre on the promotion of the home ware to the foreign markets was opened in Moldova.
- The production import in the republic increased more than threefold in accordance with the result of the economic activities for the eight month of the year 2000, whereas the export of the Moldovan production only increased by 6.6%.
- 960 ths landowners got the documents confirming their ownership under the National Program "Pamint".
- In January-October of the year 2000, the industrial enterprises of all patterns of ownership manufactured the production that cost is 6778.5 million leis. This constitutes 2.3%-growth comparing with the last year corresponding period in comparable prices.
- The government of the Republic of Moldova elaborated a strategy on the power engineering development in the republic till 2000. It is forwarded to provision of the power security of the country.

ECOLOGY

- Moldovan non-governmental organization "Ecological society "Biotica" was affiliated as a member as the most prestigious forum of ecologists and naturalists of the International Union of Conservancy.
- About 10 million US dollars were obtained by Moldova during the last five years from different international non-governmental and financial organization for supporting the environment.

MEDICINE

- The Center of Quantum Medicine granting medical and diagnostic help to the children was opened on 25 January in Chisinau.
- The international organization "Carelift" from the USA forwarded Moldova the humanitarian assistance in the form of the medical equipment for creation of the first American-like center of ambulance.
- The center of the medical assistance to the drug addicts was opened in Chisinau in April.
- According to the specialists, reforming the medical care would take more than $20 million in Moldova.
- The up-to-date medical equipment at the cost of $4 200 000 was free of charge given to the Research Institute of the Mother & Child Medical Care by the government of Japan.
- The cooperation program for the years 2000-2001, between the Ministry of Health Protection of Moldova and regional European Office of the World Health Organization was signed in Geneva. Its budget constitutes $463 000.
- The World Bank confirmed a credit of $10 000 for the project of the Investment Fund of the Moldovan health protection. The total price of the project with the other sources of financing is 20 million US dollars. The participants will be the governments of Moldova and Holland.
- The Prime-Minister Dumitru Bragis signed an agreement about the credit for the "Fund of the investments into the health protection". According to this document, the World Bank will grant Moldova the concession credit of $10 million for 40 years with 0.75 interest per annum.
- The real investments into the reform of the home system of health protection will have an $800 000 increase. This is the main result of the negotiations of the Moldovan government delegation with the representatives of the Agency on International Development of the World Bank about granting 10-million credit for the branch rehabilitation.

BANKS AND FINANCE

- The total investment amount to the main capital constituted 982.4 million Moldovan lei, increased 30% comparing with the corresponding period of the year 1999.
- The humanitarian assistance for the sum more than 12 million dollars came to Moldova from the government of the USA. It was sent within the framework of the project conducted by the "Counterpart International". It chose the National Federation of the Moldovan Farmers as its partner.
- 38 projects were developed by the World Bank for Moldova from the moment of the beginning of the Republic cooperation with this international financial organization in 1992. 22 of them were being implemented and fore more were being developed.
- The Moldovan monetary reserves are more $200 million that will allow Moldova at least pay for the foreign borrowing this year.
- $5 million since September till the year 2001 have been granted by the European Bank of the Reconstruction and Development to the commercial banks of Moldova for their micro-crediting.
- The US Agency for the International Development (USAID) and the three Moldovan banks - "Agroindbank", "Victoriabank" è "FinComBank" have finished the negotiations and signed the Agreement about receiving the guarantied credit portfolio for the small businesses.
- The US Agency for the International Development (USAID) is the most important donor for the Republic of Moldova. The volume of help, given to Moldova by it, has increased tenfold for the last ten years - from $3.5 million in 1993 up to $35 million in 1999.
- The technical assistance total volume, granted to Moldova in 1999, constituted $66 million having increased 7 million as much comparing with the previous year. The most part of funds - about 76% - came to the republic from the US Agency for the International Development (USAID) and the European Community Program TASIC. Along with it, the funds from Japan, Holland, Sweden, the Great Britain and Germany were also used. The budget of the technical assistance for Moldova for the year 2000, declared by the donor countries, is 86 million dollars.
- The USA are in the lead of the countries granting the humanitarian assistance to the Republic of Moldova. It amounted to $13.5 million dollars in January-June 2000. Comparing with the same period of the last year, the volume of the US humanitarian assistance to the Republic of Moldova increased $8 million as much.

FIGHTING THE CRIMINALITY

- The Moldovan Government adopted the National Program to combat drug addiction and traffic.
- The Memorandum of Cooperation between the Great Britain and the Republic of Moldova in the area of the struggle against grave felonies, organized crimes, arms and drug traffic was signed on 11 October in London.

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

- The expenditures for the scientific investigations in the Republic of Moldova have reduced down to 10% for the last decade.
- The international tender for the right of the introduction in Moldova the TACIS project "The support and development of the personnel training system, scientific investigation and the dissemination of the knowledge for the agrarian sector" finished its work in Brussels. The document is intended for three years and is estimated at 3.3 million evro.
- The Agreement about Cooperation and opening of the branch of the Russian Economic Academy named after Plekhanov on the basis of Moldovan Slavonic University was signed in Chisinau by the directors of the two educational institutions.

SPORT

- "Zimbru" from Chisinau became the Moldovan football champion for the 8 time.
- The first medal for the Olympic games in Sydney was won by Moldovan sportsmen. Oleg Moldovan ranked the 2 place for shooting at the moving targets from the pneumatic gun from 10 metres.
- The Moldovan boxer Vitaly Grushac became the bronze medal holder for the Olympic games in Sydney.

SOCIAL SPHERE

- The average wage in the Republic of Moldova 1 June 2000 constituted 382 leis or 39.5 percent of the minimal basket of goods. According to the Press-cutting service of the Department of Labour, Social and Family Protection, the living wage in the republic is equal to 965 leis. The most ridiculous wages are in the rural (1/5 of the basket), medical (up to 22%) and pedagogical sectors (27.4%).
- 8 200 new workplaces were created in the republic for the first six months of the year 2000. Their number was supposed to increase to 30 000 by the end of the year.
- About two thirds of the Moldovan population is under the poverty line in Moldova. This figures are given by the newspaper "International Herald Tribune" where the results of the investigation to have been conducted by the non-governmental organization European Children's Trust acting in ten countries of the Eastern Europe.
- The Directors' Board of the World Bank confirmed the preliminary Strategy of the Poverty Reduction in the republic.
- More than 26 000 people are employed by the joint ventures of Moldova 1 June 2000.

EVENTS AND FACTS

- The official opening of the European Documentation centre had place on 13 July in the republic.
- The National Tourism Agency was created.
- There are no minefields in Moldova any more. The mayors of the villages of Dorotskaya, Pokhrebya, Cocieri and their population were given 84 hectares of land on 11 August by the sappers of the National Army of the Republic of Moldova.
- The Information and Security Service stopped being governed by the President of the Republic of Moldova and became being governed by the Parliament that introduced necessary amendments to the law about this organization. Its head will be confirmed by the Parliament for the five-year term. The service director will nominate his assistants to be approved by the President.