Cross-river harmonization: the ins and outs of "mirroring" osce framework

Most states and organizations are in turbulence. Now it’s an ideal time to reshape, refresh and renew. This renewed vision will not only elevate our future goals, it will also reaffirm our commitment to making a positive, lasting impact for years to come. These dynamics make Moldova a fascinating laboratory to unfold complexities of post-communist processes to democracy developments. A stated aim in the EU Global Strategy is for the European Union (EU) to work with partner interaction the OSCE in addressing crises across the world. The EU cannot make dinner and do the dishes (cf. Kagan, 2003). It needs to work with reliable partners in conflict prevention and civilian crisis management. In this article we provide empirical evidence from fieldwork in Moldova as well as try to examine practices of the EU and OSCE in dealing with secessionist entity in post-Soviet space. The study specifically looks at the engagement of the two organizations with Moldova and contested territory that seeks secession from ‘parent state’ Transdniestria. Drawing on the organizations’ documents and a series of expert interviews with their representatives, the analysis uncovers the actual engagements of the EU and OSCE area and provides possible explanations.