Moldova-Ukraine-Romania: a regional portrayal of economy and trade
Moldova-Ukraine-Romania: a regional portrayal of economy and trade

Summary/Abstract: Romania, Moldova and Ukraine have a set of diverse political and economic peculiarities deeply rooted in history, making of them a fairly distinguishable European area with specific economic concerns, perspectives and risks. A little more than a decade ago the three countries were still under the political, military and economic control of Moscow, private sectors were non-existent or, at least, inert and ineffective while economic process was guided by central plan-making agencies. After fifty years of experiencing economic planning and the centralisation of decision-making, Ukraine, Romania and Moldova nowadays do not tire of reiterating rhetorically their willingness to build market-oriented economies and of their desire for integration into European and/or Euro-Atlantic economic, political and security structures – while also confirming this in practice, albeit to a somewhat lesser degree. In Romania, EU integration policies have produced more tangible results, the country being nominated as a full candidate for EU membership in 2007-2008. In trying to understand the potential of the development of trade, and to assess the potential of economic collaboration between the three countries, researchers face several serious impediments. There are many reasons which explain why an analysis of the economic relationships between the three neighbours may be quite difficult.

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