Monitoring→Politics→Transnistrian Conflict

• In two ample interviews granted in the period concerned, President Vladimir Voronin has raised a series of proposals to Tiraspol aimed at settlement of the Transdnistria problem^[1]. According to analysts, the initiatives are part of the “package of Moldovan proposals” which Chisinau has negotiated with Moscow last year. The main proposals raised by president in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda call for:

  • Disarmament and demilitarisation: withdrawal of border guard, pseudo-customs and police stations and maximal reduction of joint peacekeeping stations in the security zone;
  • Implementation of infrastructure projects jointly with the Transdnistrian region, for example, restoration of the international transportation corridor Leuseni-Chisinau-Dubasari, and opening of the Gura Bicului Bridge over the Dniester River, which would open the Chisinau-Tiraspol-Odessa route. In addition, the president proposed the restoration of the railway as a whole, with a proportional division of revenues raised from its exploitation;
  • Cooperation in humanitarian sector — organisation of a common television administrated by civil society; accreditation of the Tiraspol University by the Chisinau Ministry of Education; distribution in the Transdnistrian region of one part of the assistance received by Moldova to remedy the consequences of the drought.

  In the second interview the president has proposed the demilitarisation of the Republic of Moldova and Transdnistrian region. He reiterated the unconditional maintenance of the neutrality principle and raised the following proposals: destruction of military hardware, firesystems and all rocket complexes by Chisinau and Tiraspol; creation of Joint Armed Forces to function on basis of territorial completion of military units; replacement of military units with military training centres.

• The Ministry of Reintegration transmitted a letter to the Transdnistrian representative at political negotiations, Valeri Litskai, on October 8, 2007, inviting him to start implementing the initiatives raised by President Voronin in the interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda. The ministry proposed the creation of a joint working group to elaborate the schedule and topics of sittings of joint expert groups, which would propose measures to implement the initiatives. Also, Chisinau seeks the ensuring of a free move, including by withdrawing the checkpoints from the security zone, withdrawal of travel restrictions on officials, implementation of joint projects to rebuild and modernise the infrastructure, remedy the consequences of the drought, measures aimed at demilitarisation and disarmament, etc.

• The head of the Tiraspol foreign department, Valeri Litskai, has turned down Chisinau’s initiatives, describing them as “uninteresting, impossible and inopportune at present.” Transdnistrian leader Igor Smirnov has released a communication, turning down all initiatives of Chisinau and signalling a “discrepancy between statements and actions of Moldovan president,” whom he accused of hidden intentions to “annex Transdnistria”. On the other hand, Transdnistrian “speaker” Evgeni Shevchyuk was more open-minded towards initiatives of Chisinau, appreciating the positive offer of Chisinau^[2]. According to Shevchyuk, “the non-aggressive rhetoric of the speech is welcome and it reveals a change of approaches,” while the negotiations will be successful only if “Transdnistria receives positive initiatives and statements.” Shevchyuk recommended the Chisinau and Tiraspol legislatures to ratify the agreements signed by Moldova and the Transdnistrian region and proposed the further monitoring of their enforcement. This would “improve the political atmosphere” and would create the framework “for the signing of new documents.” In addition, Shevchyuk asked the Moldovan Parliament to annul the law on basic principles of status of Moldova’s eastern districts, which he noted, was a unilateral and inacceptable step for Tiraspol.

• Vienna hosted a new round of consultations of mediators and observers of the Transdnistria settlement on October 11. According to a final statement adopted at the end of the consultation round, mediators and observers welcomed the Moldovan presidential initiatives on resolution of a series of social-economic problems between Chisinau and Tiraspol, as well as the decision of Chisinau to extend the registration deadline for Transdnistria-based enterprises until December 31, 2008. Also, they welcomed the decision of Transdnistrian authorities to annul the 100-percent tax on Moldovan goods and the “migration tax”. Representatives of OSCE, Russia and Ukraine, as well as observers on behalf of the European Union and United States proposed the organisation of a “Five-Plus-Two” negotiation round before the OSCE Ministerial Meeting set for late November, inviting the sides to restart the negotiations unconditionally and immediately. The consultation round was preceded by a visit of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spanish foreign minister, to Chisinau. He reiterated his support for a lasting political solution to the Transdnistrian conflict, with respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova. Moratinos called for identification of a common standpoint of OSCE member states regarding the Transdnistrian problem at the Madrid OSCE Ministerial Meeting.

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