Ex-diplomat Vlad Spanu argues that Moldova stands at a crossroads now, and Western donors should focus on finding ways to help develop the pillars upon which any sustained democratization effort must rest.
Regardless of how the current political standoff plays out, the Alliance for European Integration has a window of opportunity to push ahead with real reforms and set Moldova on the path of democratic and economic development. But it needs the active support of the international community to do so.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's meeting with Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and the head of the unrecognized breakaway region of Transdniester, Igor Smirnov, could have negative political implications for Moldova.
