1.

April, 2015

(Photo: Moscow Times,

Student:
Hodi
Course

2014)

Country profile:
Moldova
EU TRANSITION OF A FORMER SOVIET
SATTELITE
Instructor: Maja Savic-Bojanic
Course: Public Diplomacy PD508
Sarajevo School of Science and Technology

Nejra

Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is as off the

beaten track as you can get in Europe. Attracting just a fraction of
the number of visitors of neighbouring countries (12,000 to 20,000
annually in recent years), its a natural destination for travellers who
like to plant the flag and visit lands few others have gone to.

But Moldovas charms run deeper than being merely remote. The
countrys wines are some of the best in Europe and a fledgling winetourism industry, where you can tour wineries and taste the grape,
has taken root. The countryside is delightfully unspoiled and the
hospitality of villagers is authentic. The capital, Chiinu, is
surprisingly lively, with excellent restaurants and bars. Across the
Dniestr River lies the separatist Russian-speaking region
of Transdniestr. Its a time-warp place, where the Soviet Union still
reigns supreme and busts of Lenin line the main boulevards.

(Lonely Planet, 2015)

Content
1. General profile of the country and its public diplomacy. 3
2. Economic Diplomacy: MIEPO..........................................6
3. Recommendations.......................................................12
4. Conclusion...................................................................13
5. References...................................................................14
Appendix A.......................................................................16
Appendix B.......................................................................19
Appendix C.......................................................................23

1. General profile of the country and its public

diplomacy
The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked Eastern European country
that neighbours Romania and Ukraine. The territory it occupies today
mostly resembles the 14th century borders, when the independent
principality of Moldova was first established (Pearson Education,
2015). Except for short periods under the Ottoman and Romanian
rule, most parts of Moldovan territory were influenced by Russia. In
1940, Soviet Union created Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
causing a lot of disputes with Romania over the land. Even today,
Moldova remains culturally, ethnically and linguistically closer to
Romania than Russia (CIA World Factbook, 2015). 1 The country
declared independence following the breakup of the Soviet Union in
1991 (BBC, 2015). Nevertheless, the socio-economic influence of
Russia is still strong, with small area called Transnistria populated by
both Russians and Ukrainians declaring independence in 1990 but
not being recognized by most of the world (Polyakov & Dewar,
2015).2
Thereafter, the first efforts of public diplomacy of Moldova may be
traced back to the period of Cold War when they concurred to those
of USSR. Given the propagandist nature of the conflict, public
diplomacy served the Russian interests in arms, science, culture and
many other races created to improve and elevate the image of the

1 Although the official language is Moldovan, it deeply resembles Romanian in all linguistic

aspects but accent and small part of vocabulary. Yet, Moldovan citizens acknowledged on
the referendum in 2008 the existence of Moldovan language with 87% of population being in
favour (Radio Liberty, 2008).

2 Transnistrian break-away nation is still loyal to Russia and has its own government, flag
and anthem. However, as most of the world does not recognize it, it is underdeveloped and
prevailingly rural with weak assistance contract from the European Union (ibid).

country as more powerful. Moreover, there was a struggle to attract

Third World countries as allies in the Soviet satellite network through
spread of Marxism/Leninism, hence the audience of the public
diplomacy or propaganda efforts at this time were global (Karthala,
1983). Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was merely one of the
implied allies who would promote the given interests. Generally,
there are scarce information upon the official stance of Moldavian
public diplomacy efforts at that time. Upon the break-up of the Soviet
Union and the formation of an independent Republic of Moldova, the
country entered turbulent times. As one of the poorest post-Soviet
Republics, Moldavia experienced emigration extent of 3.5 million
people since 1991 and continued along the road of economic
downfall (Peleschuk, 2013). Public diplomacy was not a priority of
countrys foreign policy nor was it high in the government agenda
which still heavily relied on Russias support. 3 Moldova experienced
several crisis situations which casted shadow on any meaningful
attempt to promote the image of the country abroad. Instead,
political destabilization took place with communist and progressive
parties clashing upon the question of future of Moldovan foreign
outlook (CIA World Factbook, 2015). Eventually, a new course set in
from 2009 when the Alliance for European Integration came to power
and engaged in a serious democratization of the country (ibid).
Throughout the last couple of years, the priorities of Moldovan
foreign policy and consequently public diplomacy were to attract the
attention of the European Union and move along the road of the EU
integration as a prospective candidate. According to Freedom House
rankings, Moldova has shown the greatest improvement among the

3 The Russian financial crisis in fall 1998 severely affected Moldova, which relied on Russia
for 60 percent of its foreign trade. Economic disaster caused an exodus of an estimated
600,000 Moldovans. Moldova is considered the poorest country in Europe at this time
(Pearson Education, 2015).

European countries in transition (Freedom House, 2015). 4 Moldova has

also experienced swift economic growth in recent years. According to
Munteanu, its trade has increased by 40 percent, and in 2010, 55 percent of
Moldovan exports went to the EU market (Carneige Endownment for
International Peace, 2011). The public diplomacy may have targeted both
regional and global media5 in this period since a sharp contrast has occurred in
the news published about the country. At the beginning of the millennium,
Moldavia was still referred to as the poorest European country with communist
rule and serious human trafficking issues, whose prospects of joining the
European Union were much distanced. In the last 5 years, the media
characterizes it by progressive EU-path ambitions, economic growth, young
open-minded generation, image of the least visited, but turistically attractive
European country as well as quality wine brands (See Appendix A & B for
comparison of news excerpts). Nevertheless, most of the official efforts were
channelled into economic diplomacy with purpose of attracting investment and
representing the Republic of Moldova as a new market economy opened for
cooperation and development.

4 Index of freedom in Moldova is currently 3 and moving towards 2, as compared to B&H

(4), Macedonia (4) and Albania (3,5).

5 Prevailingly Western liberal democracies due to political desire to attract the interest of
the European Union and its allies, with accent on regional actors;

2. Economic Diplomacy: Moldova Investment and

Export Promotion Organization
Moldova Investment and Export Promotion Organization (MIEPO) was
formed in 1999 by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Moldova with
responsibility for investment attraction and export promotion (MIEPO, 2015).
In addition, MIEPO works in two directions advising and accompanying
Moldovan exporters at international markets as well as acting as contact
partners for companies which come to the Moldovan market by searching for
attractive and reliable opportunities/locations/business partners in the country
(ibid). The focus is on the latter part i.e. supporting foreign investors and
developing external trade among Moldovan and foreign companies.

Figure 1. One of MIEPOs promoting logos showing that modernization ambitions are
compatible with tradition;

MIEPO has created an easily accessible online resource page called Invest
in Moldova (See Appendix C) that published first-hand information about the
country and its economic climate in the Investment Guide comprising data on:

Coming to Moldova (visas, customs, entry from Transnitria,

transport)
Establishing a business (legislation, procedures, authorizations)
Premises and infrastructure (Free Economic Zones, Industrial Parks)
Labour market (trade unions, consumer protection, working hours)
Tax framework
Legal Framework
Financing a business
Living in Moldova (education, currency, safety, holidays)

Furthermore, the Investment Guide is available worldwide and lists all the
advantages of economic investments in the country such as favourable
geographic position, low employment costs, tax framework resembling that of
the EU, Free Trade Agreements etc. (2014). It is backed up with data on the
countrys economic growth that continues experiencing an upward trend with
3-year predictions working in its favour (Figure 2) and foreign direct
investment rise (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Economic growth of the Republic of Moldova (Investment Report, 2014)

Figure 3. Foreign Direct Investment in Republic of Moldova (Investment Report, 2014)

Moreover, the economic diplomacy of the country evident through the work
of MIEPO is not limited to promotion on online platforms. In February 2015,
the Organization launched the first edition of Diplomatic Economic Club 2015
characterized as an initiative conceived back in 2013 with the purpose of
nurturing a more intense dialogue with diplomats and foreign investors by
bringing together representatives of diplomatic missions and bilateral
commercial chambers, being dedicated to the sharing of first results of
DCFTA (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement) with EU (Invest in
Moldova, 2015). Ministry of Economy demonstrated the adherence to the
alignment of local frameworks with European regulations, removal of technical
barriers to trade, simplification of customs procedures and modernization of
energetic sector. Similarly, the government organizes yearly Moldova ICT
Summits as a leading industry event aimed to gather all industry
stakeholders, including government, business, multinationals, professionals
and academia, to discuss trends and challenges facing the ICT industry
globally and in the country, and define the roadmap for development and
effective integration of technology, as well as the agenda for growing ICT
sector competitiveness (Moldova ICT Summit, 2015). The event has become
8

quite visited and recognized for a country that was one of the most
underdeveloped in Europe just a couple of years back (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Moldova ICT Summit numbers

The work of MIEPO and Moldovan Ministry of Economy also extends on

the social networks. The Facebook page of MIEPO is not very popular (3266
likes), but it offers various information about particular Moldovan products,
culture and tourism that might impact the economic life of the country in the
future. For example, one post introduces the wider audiences with Moldovan
traditional anecdote characters called Pcal and Tndal (Figure 5). Another
post talks about Buket Moldavii, or the alcoholic beverage predeceasing
Martini, that is called so due to a large number of plants used for the
production and has been awarded at numerous contests and international
exhibitions (Figure 6). Also, interesting facts can be found in one of the posts
about a cave monastery of monks pova which is situated on the right bank
of the river Nistru that forms beautiful waterfalls by flowing through the chalk
cliffs (Figure 7). Overall, the attempts of Moldova Investment and Export
Promotion Organization to establish official public diplomacy of the country
using economic sector are content-rich and diverse.

Figure 5. Moldovan traditional anecdote characters called Pcal and Tndal;

Figure 6. Buket Moldavii predecessor of Martini;

10

Figure 7. Cave monastery of monks pova on the river Nistru;

11

3. Recommendations
The current situation may yield mixed outcomes for Moldova. If the
political stability and economic progress continue, the highest probability is
that the country will continue to pursue EU-oriented policies and steps. In
order to move further in this direction it may have to strengthen its public
diplomacy. The status quo would be preserved if Moldova remains committed
to MIEPOs economic diplomacy measures and sets achievable, small goals in
this segment. However, if the more active transformation of regional and global
public opinion about the Republic of Moldova (not only in economic sense) is
desired by the countrys government, more efforts must be vested in public
diplomacy. A short-term solution would be to launch a campaign that would
gather more followers of MIEPO on social networks and online sites. In
addition, diplomatic missions abroad could produce promotive material that
would focus on the economic diplomacy and target business-oriented parts of
population in order to expand this already existing branch of public diplomacy.
Furthermore, diplomats abroad could slowly expand this campaign into
different sub-areas such as tourism and culture by targeting different groups.
In the long term, Moldovas government could establish a separate, central
agency or body for public diplomacy located in the country and separate
missions within the diplomatic envoys specialized particularly for this area.
The central body would send instructions and inspect the work of its
counterparts over the globe, while the country itself develops public diplomacy
that overarches economy and diversifies into nation branding, exchange and
arts diplomacy. At the beginning, this would be a very expensive option since
the initial period demands most activities. Later, the personnel size could be
reduced and those remaining would work on preserving the created image of
the Republic of Moldova.

12

4. Conclusion
In conclusion, the Republic of Moldova has weakly developed public
diplomacy. This is the consequence of historical circumstances and lessprogressive influence of Russia which continues to demand a portion of
Moldavian territory and produces economic hardships for the country in
international realm. Nevertheless, Moldova Investment and Export Promotion
Organization engages in economic diplomacy and continues to fight for
economic growth the country experienced during the last couple of years.
Through online platforms and social networks, as well as organization of global
events, this government agency promotes stable and desirable economic
climate in Moldova. Still, MIEPO is not widely known nor recognized and
remains a good ground for improvement. As a country that just recently began
attracting attention of the European Union, the Republic of Moldova has
resources that are well-prepared for promotion. Its future image depends on
the willingness of government to approach and seriously expand public
diplomacy sector.

13

5. References
Dempsey, J., 2014. Moldova Is Next Battleground for Russia and EU
(photo). Available
at:<http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/moldova-is-nextbattleground-for-russia-and-eu/512583.html >. Accessed 28 t h March 2015.
Invest in Moldova, 2015. About Moldova. Available at:<http://miepo.md/>. Accessed
28th March 2015.

Ministry of foreign affairs and European Integration of the Republic of

Moldova, 2013. Economic diplomacy. Available
at:<http://www.mfa.gov.md/foreign-economic-policy/ >. Accessed 28th March 2015.
Carnegie Endownment for International Peace, 2011. 20 Years of Moldovan
Independence Looking back and forward. Available at:
<http://carnegieendowment.org/2011/10/05/20-years-of-moldovan-independence-lookingback-and-forward/5qdr>. Accessed 28th March 2015.
Republic of Moldova, official website, 2011. Economy and Business. Available
at: <http://www.moldova.md/en/ecobisnes/>. Accessed 28th March 2015.
CIA World Factbook, 2015. Republic of Moldova. Available at:
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/md.html >. Accessed
29th March 2015.
Pearson Education Infoplease, 2015. Moldova. Available at:
<http://www.infoplease.com/country/moldova.html >. Accessed 29th March 2015.
Polyakow & Dewar, 2015. Inside Transnistria, the breakaway nation loyal to
Russia in pictures (The Guardian). Available at:
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2015/jan/26/-sp-transnistria-moldova-russiain-pictures>. Accessed 29th March 2015.
BBC news, 2015. Moldova Country Profile. Available at:
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17601580>. Accessed 29th March 2015.
Lonely planet, 2015. Introducing Moldova. Available at:
<http://www.lonelyplanet.com/moldova#ixzz3VzjDYdut>. Accessed 30th
March 2015.
Radio Liberty, 2008. Romania/Moldova: Divided By A Common Language.
Available at: <http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1079514.html>. Accessed 30th
March 2015.

14

L'URSS vue du Tiers monde, Karthala, 1983, (English translation : The Soviet Union
and the Third World, Zed Books, 1986).
Peleschuk, D., 2013. Moldovas generation gone. Available at:

<http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/130822/moldova-younggeneration-emigration>. Accessed 30th March 2015.

Freedom House, 2015. Interactive Map. Available at:

<https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2015 >. Accessed 30th

March 2015.
Invest in Moldova, 2015. MIEPO launches first edition of Diplomatic
Economic Club. Interactive Map. Available at: <http://miepo.md/news/miepolaunches-first-edition-%E2%80%9Ddiplomatic-economic-club%E2%80%9D-2015 >.
Accessed 30th March 2015.
Moldova ICT Summit, 2015. About Moldova ICT Summit (photo). Available
at: <http://www.moldovaictsummit.md/index.php/about>. Accessed 30th March 2015.
Ministry of Economy, 2015. Ministry of Economy and MIEPO launch the plan
for promoting exports and investments. Available at:
<http://www.mec.gov.md/en/content/ministry-economy-and-miepo-launch-planpromoting-exports-and-investments>. Accessed 1st April 2015.
MIEPO, 2014. Investing Guide Moldova. Available at:
<http://miepo.md/sites/default/files/moldova-business-guide-2014.pdf>. Accessed
1st April 2015.

15

Appendix A
Trafficking troubles poor Moldova
By Angus Roxburgh
BBC News Online in Moldova, 7 November
2003
"Moldova is the first former Soviet state to start the process of joining the
European Union" said a front-page headline in a Moldovan newspaper
recently.
That would have come as a surprise to the European Commission, which treats this
tiny, east European state, sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, very much
as part of the "wider Europe" which is not at all ready to think about joining the
EU.
Moldova is Europe's poorest country. Almost one-fifth
of its 4.3 million people are believed to have gone
abroad, in search of work and a better life.
And a huge majority of those who remain, according to
research, would leave if they had the means.
Compounding the misery are political tensions to east Moldova is Europe's
and west.
poorest nation
In the east, the sliver of land along the Dniester river, known as Transdniestria,
populated mainly by Russians and Ukrainians, has declared de facto independence.
The EU wants Russia to pull its forces out by the end of the year, but there is little
sign of that happening. In the meantime, the two parts of Moldova snarl at each
other across the river, and even - according to locals - disrupt each other's mobile
phone networks.
To the west, the Moldovan government is locked in an ideological war with
Romania, denouncing Bucharest's talk of "two Romanian states", which Chisinau
regards as a slight on its own, Moldovan, statehood.
The country's language is Romanian, but the authorities here refer to it as
"Moldovan" in order to bolster their separate identity.
'Not for sale'
The political instability alone would be enough to keep Moldova out of the EU. But

16

it is worse than that.

The country is the source of much of Europe's human trafficking. Billboards in the
streets of the capital, Chisinau, depict a girl gripped in a huge clenched fist, being
exchanged for dollars.
The caption reads: "You are not for sale". There are few countries in the world
where people have to be reminded of that by public
I was so poor I
advertisements.
couldn't even buy
clothes or food for my
In fact, tens of thousands of Moldovan women have
little girl
been sold into prostitution in more affluent countries.
And the trade in human organs, particularly kidneys,
Jana
is a growing and frightening problem.
"The traffickers are smart psychologists," says Ana Revenco of La Strada, an
organisation set up to help the victims of the sex trade.
"They go to poor villages where women are most vulnerable. For many of them,
prostitution is a survival strategy."
I met Jana, a 22 year-old who escaped from captivity as a sex slave in Turkey, and
now lives with her little girl, Valeria, in a draughty, damp hovel in the outskirts of
Chisinau.
Jana says she went to Istanbul voluntarily, believing she was being offered work in
bars and restaurants.
Abused
When she realised her employer wanted to turn her into a prostitute, she tried to
escape, but was caught, handcuffed and driven to the seaside town of Bodrum.
She tells how she was sold to a succession of pimps, her price-tag rising with each
sale.
Her last owner, an Armenian woman, put a gun to
Jana's head when she refused to work, beat her, and
even pushed her off a yacht into the sea for
complaining. Jana says she never received a penny for
her "work".
She speaks with horror of how another woman in the
town who refused to work was brutally murdered, her
face and genitals carved up. The pimps showed
Prostitution is a 'survival
photographs of the body to Jana as a warning.
strategy' for many
Moldovan women
Eventually Jana escaped with the help of a benevolent
client. She stole her passport back, and with her client made her way overland

17

back to Istanbul, where he paid for a ticket home. It was four months of terror.
Why did she go there in the first place, I asked. Wasn't she naive?
"Maybe. But I was so poor I couldn't even buy clothes or food for my little girl,"
she said. "I couldn't even buy her sweets."
In a village in the north of Moldova I found victims of another kind of trafficking.
Iurie, a young man with dark stubble on his face, looked tough enough to take
care of himself. But tears brimmed in his eyes as he told me how he was forced again, in Turkey - to have a kidney removed.
He says he went there thinking he would be given work as a stevedore. Instead,
he ended up on an operating table. He was sent home, $11,000 richer, but
traumatised for life.
The realisation that one can live with just one kidney has prompted many
Moldovans to go abroad voluntarily to make a quick buck. In the village of Oknita a
20-year-old woman had bought a car and a house with the proceeds from her
kidney.
Poorly equipped
In Edinec, a young musician named Sergiu plays the saxophone he bought with
his. He hopes the instrument will enable him to earn money.
"Of course it was a risk," he says, "but I had nothing. Absolutely nothing. Now I
have this saxophone, and a clarinet, and a house."
I found these people with the help of two officers from Moldova's anti-trafficking
unit. Victor and Vasile are proud of their work, and determined to rid their country
of the trafficking gangs.
But it's an unequal struggle. They themselves are poor: their salaries just $100 a
month. Their 20-strong unit has no computers or specialised equipment.
For our four-hour car journey from Chisinau to the north, I even had to pay for
their petrol.

SOURCE: BBC news, Roxburhg A., 2003. Trafficing troubles poor Moldova.
Available at: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3243679.stm>. Accessed 29th
March 2015.

18

Appendix B
1. Moldova: embracing its status as Europe's leastvisited country
by Leif Pettersen Jul 02 2013

Being declared Europe's least visited country, with some researcher

thoughtfully providing the spirit-wilting data showing only 9000
international arrivals in 2011, would probably cause most countries to plop
down in the middle of the room and scream about how life is so
unfair. Moldova is doing the equivalent of wearing this information like a
sandwich board.

White and blue All Saints Church of Chisinau / Dan Herrick / Lonely Planet Images / Getty Images.

Voted by Lonely Planet readers as the #2 off-the-beaten-path destination

in the world (behind landslide winner Bhutan) in our 2013 Traveller's
Choice poll, Moldova has new-found tourism purpose. With help from
USAID www.usaid.gov) and CEED II (http://ceed.md/), Moldova's already
surprisingly cooperative tourism sector has begun ringing bells and waving
flags, telling the world how its unpopularity is in fact one of its greatest
assets, particularly for those who have become jaded by the beaten path.
19

Having served as Lonely Planet's Moldova expert for seven years, I'm all
too familiar with the unpolished, scrappy appeal of Moldova. Virtually no
aspect of the country has been orchestrated for mass tourism or even
practical convenience. Experiences here are earned, without being overly
demanding. Want to see the breathtaking cave monastery perched above a
winding valley at Orheiul Vechi? Get into an over-stuffed, abused minibus
and bounce down busted up roads squashed in the back row between
villagers returning from shopping in Chisinau. Looking for Soviet-loving,
communist-era Moscow immersion in the breakaway republic
of Transdniestr? Queue up at the infernal border crossing and sweat out
the formalities like everybody else.

Orhei Vechi, Moldova by Dave Proffer. CC BY 2.0.

This is not to say Moldovans will neglect and mistreat visitors. Quite the
opposite. The lazy overuse of the 'welcoming locals' clich criminally
applied by travel writers to every other country on Earth (except Germany)

20

is not an embellishment in this case. The minibus driver to Orheiul Vechi

knows exactly why you're in his vehicle and he'll make sure you get to your
destination. Other wearied Moldovans tap dancing for Transdniestr border
officials will intervene on your behalf if problems arise, providing
translating services if necessary to make sure you're granted an entry
pass.
Caught in the geographical and cultural embrace of Romania and Ukraine,
landlocked and mostly flat, Moldova's natural attractions are notably
absent on postcards, but the region's enviable climate and soil have long
been host to one of the country's chief products and exports: wine grapes.
Moldova's wine industry, once feverishly producing and shipping their
exquisite product to all the thirsty corners of the former USSR, took a hard
hit after the break-up. It's taken two decades for Moldova's legacy wine
producers - namely Cricova (www.cricova.md), Purcari (www.purcari.md)
and Milestii Mici (www.milestii-mici.md) - to recover. Just as the old-timers
were approaching something resembling peak production, Russia slapped
them down with (allegedly) politically motivated temporary bans of
Moldovan wine in 2006 and 2010. That sting turned out to be a blessing,
forcing producers to blaze new markets in Western Europe and Asia,
including the newly aspirant wine appreciators in China.

Sunflower field, Moldova by Guttorm Flatab. CC BY 2.0.

However, the most encouraging wine news out of Moldova is without

question the 2012 legalisation of small wine production. Prior to that, small
producers were dependent on large, state-run producers to get their
products on the market. Several small vintners that were already putting
out award-winning vintages under the old system are now off the chain,
sparking excited buzz in oenology circles. Moldova's Wine Festival
21

(www.facebook.com/moldovawineday), held in the first week of October, is

arguably the biggest event on the country's calendar. However, between
the old guard like Cricova, Chateau Vartely (http://vartely.md) and Purcari,
whose 'Negru de Purcari' was a favourite of Queen Victoria's, and the new
hotness wineries like Et Cetera (http://etcetera.md), rewarding tastings
and tours can now be staged year-round.

Chisinau, Moldova by Vlad Litvinov. CC BY 2.0.

Chisinau, the country's capital, has also been busy reinventing itself. One
of the leafiest capital cities in Europe, Chisinau's eating and drinking scene
is barely recognisable from when I first visited in 2006. The once dismal
field of prohibitively expensive restaurants and nightclubs catering to
thuggish guys and over-done women has opened up with all manner of
reasonably priced, excellent restaurants and nightlife geared for people
who are looking to have fun, rather than put on airs of self-importance and
boredom. As alluring as Chisinau's nightlife has become, in a place as
bucolic and steeped in tradition as Moldova, spending time in the villages is
one of the country's key experiences. Butuceni, sitting in the shadow of the
monastery at Orheiul Vechi, has cultivated a strong agro-tourism
experience, led by Agro Pensiunea Butuceni (www.pensiuneabutuceni.md),
who offer a variety of rooms and can arrange meals, tours, cultural
activities and performances.

22

The train station at Bendery, the second city of the breakaway republic of Transdniestr /
Amos Chapple / Lonely Planet Images / Getty Images.

For fans of Soviet kitsch with a pinch of the bizarre, a day-trip to the
breakaway republic of Transdniestr and its capital-city-cum-living-museum
Tiraspol, should thoroughly scramble the brain eggs. Tributes to Lenin, a
shameless oligarchy, and a distinct sensation of time travel punctuates
visits here. Though the region is still effectively in a frozen conflict with
Moldova and the border was once an unabashed assembly line of bribe
shakedowns, a visit here has become virtually trouble-free in recent years.
Still, outright photography of the random profundity of sites deemed crucial
to national security will quickly attract a tap on the shoulder by the everpresent Transdniestrian police force.

SOURCE: Lonely planet, 2013. Available at:

<http://www.lonelyplanet.com/moldova/travel-tips-andarticles/77774>. Accessed March 29th 2015.

23

Appendix C
Snapshot of Invest in Moldova web-page created by Moldova Investment
and Export Promotion Organization:

MIEPOs promotion of Moldavian business climate;

Source: Invest in Moldova, 2015. MIEPO. Available at: <miepo.md>

Accessed: 1 April, 2015.

24