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Transnistrian settlement initiatives by President Voronin

President Voronin launched some additional proposals regarding the presidential initiatives on Transnistrian settlement in a new interview with the Komsomolskaya PravdaRU newspaper on October 24. In particular, he referred to property rights in Transnistria, which is one of the most sensitive issues related to the conflict settlement. According to the president, Moldova will guarantee the property rights in Transnistria on basis of a simple property declaration, without investigating much the way one property or another was acquired. Moldova has already worked out a draft law in this respect. The draft was tabled to the Transnistria settlement mediators and observers and, the President assured, they have appreciated the approach of Chisinau regarding this issue. At the same time, the chief of state insisted that this draft law could be adopted only concomitantly with regulation of the status of the Transnistrian region, as the adoption of such a law before the final resolution of the conflict could encourage criminal structures to take arbitrary actions.

The OSCE, the United States, the European Union and Ukraine have backed the package of initiatives by President Voronin. According to the president, Russia, which “plays a decisive role” in this conflict^[1], did not express so far a clear attitude towards these initiatives, though it has earlier signed a statement welcoming Moldova’s initiatives together with other mediators and observers. It seems that these initiatives have been the topic of talks between President Voronin and visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gregory Karasin.

On the other hand, Tiraspol leaders deny in continuation that they have received formal Transnistria settlement initiatives from Chisinau. They claim that the new initiatives by Chisinau have been launched only in the form of media interviews so far and there is no positive change in relations with Chisinau^[2].

Meanwhile, the Chisinau Government has made a decision on implementation of President Voronin’s initiatives aimed at strengthening the confidence and security in the Transnistria settlement context. Under the new decision, seven sectoral working groups will be created to work out action plans on implementation of the presidential initiatives and to work out and implement joint projects inclusively with the participation of representatives of the Transnistrian region within one month. The working groups will focus on elaboration and implementation of infrastructure projects; resumption of normal activity of railroads; better functioning of educational institutions; conditions for economic and commercial activity; consolidation of stability and ensuring free movement in the security zone, disarmament and demilitarisation; granting of humanitarian aid.

Europa.md has quoted Reintegration Minister Vasile Sova as saying that Tiraspol had a positive reaction towards the initiatives of Chisinau and the first draft proposals will be available within two weeks.

A more active role for European Union

While on a visit to Chisinau, European Parliament Deputy Chairman, Miguel Angel Martinez, has called for the strengthening of the EU role in the Transnistria settlement process. Moldpress news agency has quoted the European MP as saying that the present observer status of the EU in the Transnistria settlement process is ineffective and unfit for the role the EU must assume on the European continent. He expressed optimism that the future legal and political framework of EU-Moldova relations will envisage a more active role for the EU in the Transnistrian settlement process, an idea which the Chisinau authorities have supported.

It is worth noting that the proposals seeking a more active EU role in the Transnistria settlement process launched by Miguel Angel Martinez in Chisinau are also part of a recent Resolution by the European Parliament concerning violation of human rights in the Transnistrian region.

The initiatives by the European parliamentarian also resonate to some degree with the EU readiness to provide direct humanitarian aid to the Transnistrian region in order to remedy the consequences of the summer 2007 drought. EU Special Representative for Moldova, Kalman Mizsei, has expressed the EU readiness during a meeting with the Tiraspol speaker. Mizsei recommended the Transnistrian authorities to work out concrete assistance proposals and reports on consequences of the drought, on which basis the EU will consider the possibility to grant assistance to the region.

Also, Mizsei and Transnistrian parliamentarians discussed possible measures to allow people from the two banks of the Nistru River to engage in commercial activity, to enter and leave the region without problems, and to create a positive climate for the negotiation process^[3].

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