Moldova: Presence of Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria contributes to freezing the conflict
The Moldovan government believes that the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Transnistria helps to freeze the Pridnestrovian conflict. This was expressed in a statement distributed by the government on the 25th anniversary of the peacekeeping mission to Transnistria.
The Moldovan government said that it appreciates the positive contribution of the peacekeeping operation on the Dniester since the end of July 1992, but regrets to report that this operation has still not been able to provide the security of a complete demilitarization zone.
In its statement, the Moldovan government also gave an evaluation of the agreement on the peaceful resolution of the Pridnestrovian conflict which was signed in 1992, as well as the peacekeeping mission on the Dniester (with Russian, Moldovan and Pridnestrovian contingents). The government recognizes the political significance of this agreement as “indisputable”, as it put an end to the armed conflict. At the same time, the statements point out that Moldova still needs to “deal with the separatist conflict” in future and that the “efforts made towards peaceful resolution have not given results”.
The government sees the primary reason for this “political failure” in “the geopolitical interests and historical stereotypes of the Russian Federation, which, by all appearances, is still in the search for a civilized model of building relations with the Republic of Moldova on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs”.
In this regard, the report states that the “Moldovan authorities advocate and will consistently advocate in future the withdrawal of the Russian forces and ammunition illegally located in Moldovan territory. Under these conditions, the government believes that Russia’s claims to be an “impartial intermediary and the guarantor of compliance with the agreements achieved during the negotiations to resolve the Pridnestrovian conflict” seem ridiculous.
Last week the Moldovan Foreign Ministry announced that it considers the celebrations in Tiraspol and Russia’s participation in them inappropriate. On Thursday, July 27, Moldova denied entry to a group of Russian artists who were headed for the celebrations in Transnistria. On Friday, July 28, a Russian delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was unable to fly to Moldova. The plane was turned back by Romania on its border, as Romania would not allow the flight through its airspace on account of there being a “sanctioned person on board”.