Foreign Minister Presented in Vienna Conditions for Organizing Free Elections in Transnistria

Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Andrei Stratan presented in Vienna the conditions in which the organization of free elections in the Transnistrian region would be possible and opted for gradual replacement of the peacekeeping forces with OSCE civil and military observers.

Andrei Stratan participated on Tuesday in the works of OSCE Annual Security Review Conference at which he presented the opinion of Chisinau authorities about the last evolutions in the field of security in OSCE space. According to press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Stratan paid special attention to the latest situation in the process of settling the Transnistrian conflict. He explained the importance of documents approved on 10 June by the Moldovan Parliament regarding the Ukraine’s initiatives in settling the dispute. Stratan underlined that Transnistrian conflict is a complex problem of regional security that needs an integrated approach and drew attention to the fact that at the present juncture, OSCE should make use of all available instruments to implement the recent Ukrainian proposals. Head of the Moldovan diplomacy has also presented the conditions in which the organization of free elections in eastern districts of the Republic of Moldova is possible, among which he mentioned the withdrawal of the Russian Army, liquidation of Tiraspol political police, demilitarization of region, ensurance of media freedom and consolidation of civil society.

In the same context, Stratan opted for the gradual substitution of the present peacekeeping forces and their transformation into multinational mission of OSCE civil and military observers. Foreign Minister emphasized the necessity of respecting by Russian Federation the commitments made in Istanbul regarding Moldova and underlined the fact that the Russian military presence is the main obstacle in the way to our country’s reintegration and undermines the efforts of international community to eliminate the threats in the address of security in OSCE space. Moreover, he asserted that the complete, unconditioned and without delay withdrawal of the Russian military forces from Moldova’s territory will create necessary conditions for the ratification of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and will considerably contribute to consolidation of security and stability in the country and region.

Andrei Stratan also had meetings in Vienna with OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Ambassador Jan Kubis, Secretary General of OSCE and other officials.//