The Foreign Policy Association of Moldova, Asociatia pentru Politica Externa (APE) is Moldova’s leading foreign policy think-tank, committed to supporting Moldova’s Europeanization, integration into the European Union and a viable settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. It was established in fall 2003 by a group of well-known experts, public personalities and former senior officials and diplomats reunited by their commitment to contribute their expertise and experience to a comprehensive analysis of Moldova’s foreign policy options and formulation of an efficient foreign policy.
As an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization, the APE aims to:
- improve the quality of the foreign policy debates in Moldova;
- provide a platform for informed discussions and analysis on foreign policy issues;
- strengthen the foreign policy experts’ community in Moldova;
- foster better interraction between non-governamental experts and decision makers;
- interpret Moldova for a broader international audience and interpret the international processes for Moldovan public,
- provide interested officials and diplomats, as well as the wider public, an independent high-quality assessment on the most topical issues of Moldova’s foreign policy and international processes affecting Moldova’s interests;
- promote a better understanding by Moldovan public of various aspects of Moldovan foreign policy options and ways of achieving its goals on the international scene;
- stimulate citizens’ interest in the area of foreign policy and better understanding of various aspects of European affairs and international relations.
To these ends the APE and its staff:
- organise foreign policy-focused events (conferences, round tables, seminars, public discussions, summer schools, study trips, etc.);
- arrange public lectures and visits by international experts and scholars;
- participate in international conferences, regional think-tank initiatives and networks;
- publishe studies, analyses and commentaries;
- conduct policy-oriented research;
- make regular commentaries in the media;
- disseminate the by-weekly Digest Panorama (in Romanian) and the Transnistrian Digest (in English/Russian)
- prepare and broadcast a weekly analytical Radio programme on Moldova’s foreign policy “Dezbateri si Sinteze de Politica Externa” (in Romanian);
- maintain the web site www.ape.md as a valuable information resource for all those interested in Moldova’s foreign policy.
The founding members of the Association and members of its Board of Directors are:
- President - Vasile Nedelciuc, Chairman of the Endava Co and ex-Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament (1990-1993, 1998-2001)
- Vice - President - Amb. Iurie Leancă, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Deputy Prime Minister, Moldova
- Vice - President - Nicu Popescu, Adviser of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova
- Ion Sturza, ex Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova
- Dr. Arcadie Barbaroşie, Executive Director of the Institute for Public Policy (IPP)
- Igor Boţan, Executive Director of the Association for Participative Democracy (ADEPT)
- Amb. Nicolae Chirtoacă*, Ambassador of Moldova to the United States, ex-Executive Director of the Euro-Atlantic Center and Invisible College of Moldova
- Valeriu Gheorghiu, Head of the European Integration Department
- Ştefan Gorda, Ascom Group’s Vice President and former Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Dr. Oleg Serebrian, Member of the Parliament, President of the European Movement of Moldova and former senior diplomat
- Amb. Anatol Ţăranu, Director of the Institute for Security and Military Studies, ex Moldovan Ambassador to Russia.
- Andrei Popov, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Moldova
- Igor Corman, Head of the Parliamentary Foreigh Policy and European Integration Committee
- Eugen Revenco, Head of the International Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
- Eugen Carpov, ex Moldovan Ambassador to EU
- Stela Mocan, Adviser of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova
- Liliana Vitu-Esanu, Director, Nesw Department, Moldova 1
The APE’s staff consists of:
- Executive Director, Victor Chirilă, former Deputy Head of Foreign Ministry’s Departments and ex-Counselor at the Modova’s Embassy to the United States
- Programs Director, Radu Vrabie
- Programs Coordinator, Victoria Boian
- Associated Expert, Vlad Kulminsky
- Associated Expert, Mihai Popsoi
- Associated Expert, Alexandru Baltag
- Accountant, Raisa Moroşanu
- IT Counsultant, Ghenadie Iepure
