Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Popular Front
(FPCDM - formerly Moldovan Popular Front), Iurie ROSCA, chairman;
Socialist Unity Faction (US) of the Socialist Party of Moldova
(PSM), Vladimir SOLONARI, leader; Social Democratic Party of Moldova
(PSDM), Anatol TARAN, chairman; Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova
(PDAM), Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman; Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc,
Mihai GHIMPU, leader; Liberal Party of Modova (PLM), Mircea RUSU,
chairman; Socialist Party of Moldova (PSM), Valeriu SENIC and Victor
MOREV, cochairmen; Party of Rivival and Conciliation of Moldova
(PRCM), Mircea SNEGUR, chairman; Moldovan Party of Democratic Forces
(PFDM), Valeriu MATEI, chairman; Party for Social Progress (PPSM),
Eugen SOBOR, chairman; Communist Party (PCM), Vladimir VORONIN,
first chairman; Yedinstvo Intermovement, Vladimir SOLONARI,
chairman, note - this party may not be in existence now
Other political or pressure groups: United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman; The Ecology Movement of Moldova (EMM), G. MALARCHUK, chairman; The Christian Democratic League of Women of Moldova (CDLWM), L. LARI, chairman; National Christian Party of Moldova (NCPM), D. TODIKE, M. BARAGA, V. NIKU, leaders; The Peoples Movement Gagauz Khalky (GKh), S. GULGAR, leader; The Democratic Party of Gagauzia (DPG), G. SAVOSTIN, chairman; The Alliance of Working People of Moldova (AWPM), G. POLOGOV, president; Christian Alliance for Greater Romania; Stefan the Great Movement; Liberal Convention of Moldova; Association of Victims of Repression; Christian Democratic Youth League
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS,
EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(applicant)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae TAU
chancery: Suites 329, 333, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 783-3012
FAX: [1] (202) 783-3342
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John Todd STEWART embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau 277014 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72 FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44
Flag: same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow
Economy ———-
Economic overview: Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas. Energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Moldovan Government has been making steady progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda, and the IMF has called Moldova a model for the region. As part of its reform efforts, Chisinau has introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed their steady privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Chisinau appears strongly committed to continuing these reforms in 1996. Published estimates probably overstated the decline in output in 1991-94; the $2,310 per capita figure for GDP thus is a minimum estimate.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (1995 estimate extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)