Foreign Policy Newsletter 09/247, September 2026: Two Objectives, One Dilemma: Moldova’s European Path and Territorial Reintegration

How can the Republic of Moldova move towards European Union membership without leaving territorial reintegration behind? This question is at the heart of the new edition of the FES/APE Foreign Policy Bulletin.

The edition presents an FES Moldova study by Denis Cenușă and Alexandru Flenchea, which examines three scenarios: accession as a reintegrated state, accession before reintegration, and the stagnation of both processes. The bulletin also includes a summary of discussions at the study’s launch conference, where experts from the Republic of Moldova and other countries, including Cyprus, addressed the costs of the unresolved conflict, the presence of Russian troops, and the risk that accession could reduce pressure for reintegration.

In an interview, Professor Ahmet Sözen explains the lessons and limits of the Cypriot experience and argues for linking the stages of accession to concrete steps towards reintegration. Natalia Stercul’s editorial examines the fiscal unification of the two banks of the Nistru River and the tools Moscow uses to maintain its influence in the region.

We invite you to download and read the new edition of the FES/APE Foreign Policy Newsletter HERE.