Transnistrian Conflict on October 1–31, 2010

Confidence building measures between Chisinau and Tiraspol

On October 1 the Prim Minister Vlad Filat, accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister Victor Osipov, responsible for policies on country’s reintegration, had a conversation with Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov, during the “match meeting” in Tiraspol (attending a football match on the stadium in Tiraspol). The discussion focused on launching a passenger train route running between Chisinau and Odessa through Bender and Tiraspol. The discussions were also focused and the agreement reached on possible reconnection of the fixed phone networks. To solve this issue, it is necessary for the telecommunications institutions on both sides of the River Nistru to cooperate on technical level.

EUBAM Coordination Board meeting

15th meeting of the EUBAM Coordination Board of October 11 took stock of activities for the period from June 1 to September 30, 2010. Among the basic achievements of the mission in the reported period the following were mentioned: resumption of passenger train route Chisinau-Odessa through Transnistrian region and launching the process of demarcation of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border on Transnistrian sector. In those five years of EUBAM activity, a framework was created for exchange of information between border guards and customs services of Moldova, which benefitted from modern equipment and technical assistance. Udo Burkholder, Head of the EUBAM, mentioned that during the immediate next period the mission will focus on issues related to the dialogue on liberalisation of visa regime, in terms of border management.

Prerequisites for resumption of negotiations

In a joint press conference held on October 18, 2010 after the Russian-French-German summit in Deauville, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated that “Transnistrian conflict settlement was discussed at the tripartite meeting”. According to him, the resumption of negotiations on Transnistrian conflict settlement may take place after the conclusion of the electoral process in Moldova. Russia will support the process, but it is necessary that all parties involved in the conflict to have a constructive attitude. Medvedev addressed the role of intermediaries, who are able to influence the situation and relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol. In the same context, he noted that success will depend on the position of Romania and EU. A few days later, on October 21, President Medvedev attended the Munich Security Conference, where he reiterated that parties can reach an understanding on Transnistrian problem. In this context he mentioned that Transnistrian leader and Moldovan top leadership meet and discuss, invoking in this regard the meeting in Barviha on March 18, 2009. At the same time, President Medvedev said that European states should not try to resolve their domestic political problems through Transnistrian settlement. In particular, he referred to Romania, which, according to Medvedev, must “behave more calmly and balanced”. In the same period, the Transnistrian issue was discussed in Moscow by the Director for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia of the Directorate-General for External Relations of the European Commission, Gunnar Wiegand, and the State Secretary and first Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Grigory Karasin. Gunnar Wiegand stressed that “European Union will not change its position on Transnistrian issue and will help resolve the conflict on Nistru”. However, lately an issue of particular interest is the EU status within the negotiation process, because the Moldovan leadership suggested that within Transnistrian settlement negotiations the EU should change its status from observer into the mediator, alike Russia and Ukraine.

References to Transnistrian problem within the Resolution of European Parliament

The resolution of European Parliament (EP) adopted on October 21, 2010 on the Republic of Moldova states that “the settlement of Transnistrian conflict is an essential element in promoting political stability and economic prosperity in Moldova. EU should play a more important role in finding a solution to the Transnistrian problem.” MEPs mentioned that EU can help to mediate this conflict through social projects that would meet the needs of citizens on both banks of Nistru and would contribute to enhancing the mutual trust.

Russian officials’ reactions to the statement of the interim President of the Republic of Moldova

On October 21 the interim President of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Ghimpu, called upon Russia requesting to withdraw its military presence from Transnistria under the Moldovan-Russian Agreement of October 21, 1994. According to Ghimpu, the Russian military presence in the Eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova “is not only a source of threat to Moldovan state, but also a source feeding the secessionism, since the separatist leaders in Tiraspol perceive the presence of Russian troops deployed in the region as a moral, political and material support for their actions … Thus, the Russian military presence on Moldovan territory seriously undermines the international community’s efforts aimed at peaceful settlement of this conflict”. In this context, Mihai Ghimpu expressed hope that current negotiations in the context of the revitalization of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) and preparations for the OSCE summit in Astana, the position of the Republic of Moldova on withdrawal of Russian troops will be heard and taken into account by CFE states. The statements of the interim President, Mihai Ghimpu, provoked a feedback from the Russian Ambassador to Moldova, Valeriy Kuzmin. The latter said that Russia cannot withdraw its military presence in Moldova, according to the commitments taken at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul in 1999, because the times have changed. According to him “in 1999 the realities were very different, including here in Moldova. Russia was meeting its obligations set out in Istanbul, but the negotiation process on Transnistrian conflict was interrupted, not because of us. Thus, the withdrawal of Russian armed forces became impossible, while maintaining the peacekeeping forces — inevitable. This is not an occupation of territory, a threat to territorial integrity of Moldova or military blackmail, as it is speculated, but a guarantee that this conflict will not unleash again.” A week later the official representative of Russian Foreign Ministry, Andrei Nesterenko, also reacted and emphasized that the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria could provoke the conflict parties to direct confrontation, threatening with a new warfare outbreak in the region.

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