April 2004
Seanne Hanke, the Peace Corps volunteer I first name-checked a couple of months ago has been keeping herself busy this month: in her April Journal
she gets to grips with chick and duck sexing, and gives a warning about eating colostrum cake. She also provides us with an entertaining account of Easter in her village.
As I mentioned last month, Romania has recently joined NATO, and is making noises about Transnistria, according to this Greek website. It just makes poor old Moldova appear all the more peripheral somehow. When the EU expands again to take in Romania (possibly in 2007, but subject to possible delay nonetheless) Moldova's position outside the main European security and economic organisations will be even more apparent. This PA article, appearing in the Scotsman puts Moldova's position in some kind of
context with others caught on the"wrong" side of the EU's borders.
Not that the Transnistrian situation is nearing a resolution: Interfax reports that he latest plan has been rejected by the government, who are looking for an "asymmetrical federation", whilst the latest plan offers"a federation of two equal entities". I do hope that you're following this- there's going to be an exam on this in June's edition of the Monthly Monitor.
Finally, I am indebted to my friend and former flatmate, Catherine, who brought ne back a map from her recent working trip to Moldova. It replaces one I left in a taxi in Ukraine nine years ago. Click here to see it! |
