The role of think-tanks in strengthening and promoting the strategic partnership between the Republic of Moldova and Romania

During 23 – 25 June 2022, the experts of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) conducted an advocacy visit to Bucharest. The purpose of the visit was to discuss key priorities and recommendations for the strategic partnership between the Republic of Moldova and Romania in the context of the EU accession process. At the same time, the visit provided a good opportunity to examine potential cooperation initiatives between think-tanls and public institutions to strengthen resilience, security and the fight against hybrid threats in the European neighborhood and the Black Sea region.

In the first part of the visit, Mihai Mogîldea, Deputy Executive Director, IPRE and Victoria Nemerenco, Team Leader, IPRE Europeanization program, had meetings with Gabriel Mareș, Director of the Directorate for Relations with the Republic of Moldova, Loredana Pădurean, diplomatic advisor within Directorate for Relations with the Republic of Moldova and Laura Comanescu, Director of the Directorate for Asymmetric Risks within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Romania. Also, our colleagues had a meeting with Ileana Racheru, Director of the Expertise Supply Department within the Romanian Diplomatic Institute (IDR).

In the second part of the visit, IPRE experts participated in the public online event “Discussions on resilience: what’s next for the Republic of Moldova?”, Organized by the Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience (E-ARC). In the context of the advocacy visit, IPRE and E-ARC signed a cooperation agreement for the implementation of research projects and programs, public policy proposals and joint activities in the field of resilience.

The advocacy visit to Bucharest was organized within the project “Policy Bridges with the EU: Securing the Europeanization process of the Republic of Moldova”, implemented by IPRE with the support of the Soros Foundation-Moldova.