NCLM.ORG 23 Municipal Diplomacy Our city has a population of about 8,000. We are facing many crises happening at the local level and also within the international context. After two years of the pandemic, we have faced a refugee crisis, an energy crisis, and the people are distressed with these situations. We are in a complicated situation, but with the support of partnerships like this one, the European Union and the United States, we are able to face these issues at the right level. Although it seems like we are on different continents, we have a common aim… This exchange helps us face the common issues we have, in protecting our planet for future generations. » Olga Luchian, Deputy Mayor of Stefan Voda ˘˘˘ The North Carolina-Moldova relationship is firmly rooted in diplomacy. It began with the fall of the Soviet Union. American leadership at the time recognized that the newly independent countries of the USSR had practiced neither self-governance nor democracy for many years, and that their economic standing did not encourage development in those areas. Leaving it void, in the United States’ view, would not support either party’s interests. Thus, it became national policy to support those aims through the use of intergovernmental partnerships. As such, the United States National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) was created in 1993. With a focus on Eastern Europe, SPP included pairings such as California and Ukraine, Indiana and Slovakia, and Alabama and Romania. Over the following three decades, SPP expanded globally, and now includes more than 80 state-country partnerships. Initially the partnerships were predicated on security. Through the years, the civilian diplomacy aspect also blossomed. The National Guard now includes both elements of the program in its description: “Through SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals but also leverages whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency and corollary engagements spanning military, government, economic, and social spheres.” continues on page 24 Sergiu Andronachi, Mayor of Cimislia, addresses the mayors and managers of Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Holly Springs. Photo credit: Ben Brown.
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