FROM UN TRIBUNE, MOLDOVAN PRIME MINISTER DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN TROOPS FROM REPUBLIC’S TERRITORY

On Friday, Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip addressed the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly from the global forum’s main tribune, and demanded that the Russian Federation must remove its troops from the Republic of Moldova territory.

Pavel Filip requested the world community to support the inclusion into the Session Agenda an additional item – on foreign troops withdrawal from the Republic of Moldova territory. He stressed that contrary to the fundamental principles of the international law, to the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova and to Russia’s own international commitments, the Operative Group of Russian Troops (OGRV) would not be pulled out from Moldova’s Transnistrian region. At the same time, the prime minister stressed that unlike the OGRV, a contingent of Russian peacekeepers is present in Transnistria on fully legal grounds.

“The military exercises, which the Russian troops hold in the Transnistrian republic together with the illegal armed formations of the separatist Transnistrian regime, are a real challenge to Moldova’s security. These actions grossly contradict to the commitments to strictly observe the principle of neutrality towards conflicting sides. We hereby reaffirm that we insist on a full and unconditional withdrawal of the so-called OGRV, which is the successor to Russia’s former 14th Army, and which possesses more than 21,000 tons of weapons and ammunition illegitimately remaining in the Republic of Moldova territory”, stated Premier Filip.

Speaking of Transnistrian conflict settlement, Filip said this is neither an ethnic nor religious conflict. It is fed inter alia by the presence of the foreign troops in the territory of the country.

Filip stressed the Republic of Moldova will be further working to achieve a viable solution to the Transnistrian problem within the negotiating process being held in the 5+2 format, with the observance of the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and with provision of a special legal status to the Transnistrian region.

“We believe that the Transnistrian conflict settlement process can be promoted by converting the incumbent peacekeeping forces, which include the Russian peacekeeping contingent, into a multinational mission under an international mandate. In this context, I would like to stress that this tripartite separation force, created on the basis of the Agreement of July 21, 1992, had fulfilled its mission yet many years ago. By now, this outdated mechanism has turned into a factor of conservation of the Transnistrian conflict. It has failed to ensure the complete demilitarization of the Transnistria Security Zone and to eliminate obstacles hindering the free movement of people, goods and services”, said Prime Minister.

Pavel Filip expressed concern over the challenges the international community is facing, and a deep concern over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, saying that it “threatens peace and security in the region” and that “I reiterate in this context our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Filip also pledged that Moldova would continue to implement reforms as stipulated in the EU-Moldova Association Agreement signed in 2014.