NEWS

Maia-Sandu-and-Noelle-Lenoir-November-21-2022-(dinner-organized-by-IFRI) Maia-Sandu-and-Noelle-Lenoir-November-21-2022-(dinner-organized-by-IFRI)

Maia Sandu and Noëlle Lenoir, November 21, 2022 (dinner organized by IFRI)

On November 21, 2022, Noëlle Lenoir met Maia Sandu, President of Moldova, at an IFRI dinner hosted by Thierry de Montbrial. In her speech, President Sandu underlined her commitment to democracy and her determination to combat the endemic corruption that is corroding the state and the economy at the highest level.

In particular, billions of dollars and euros of Western aid have been transferred in recent years to the offshore accounts of oligarchs close to the political powers of the time.

Ms. Sandu underlined the difficulty of her mission, given the lack of national consensus on its aims and on the attitude to adopt towards Russia. The population is still divided in two, even if it largely shares the President's conviction that the fight against corruption is a priority in a state that is one of the poorest in Europe.

Added to this is the presence of Russian troops and armaments in Transnistria, which NATO has unsuccessfully demanded be withdrawn. Moldova declares itself to be a neutral country and shows no signs of abandoning this constitutional credo. On the other hand, the country's European orientation is strong, and has become even more pronounced since the EU-Moldova Association Agreement came into force ten years ago. Since June 2022, the country has been a candidate for membership of the European Union.

An agreement between Moldova and France came into force on December 1, 2022, concerning the activities of the French Development Agency and Expertise France.

The debate on November 21, 2022 was an opportunity to salute the courage of the Moldovan President and her government in an international and national context whose dangers need no emphasizing.

Noëlle Lenoir Avocats

28 boulevard Raspail
75007 PARIS
+33 1 45 44 67 16
contact@noellelenoir-avocats.com

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