TRANSNISTRIANS RAISING SIGNATURES FOR PRESERVING PEACEKEEPING MISSION ON THE DNIESTER

The raising of citizens’ signatures in support of preserving the current peacekeeping mission on the Dniester River has begun in the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (PMR), reported the Nezavissimaya Gazeta [Independent Newspaper] of Russia.

Transnistria president Vadim Krasnoselsky said to the publication that the regional petition with tens of thousands signatures will be sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Transnistria officials have many a time stated that the peacekeepers are guarantors of peace in the region. But it is important to hear the population’s opinion. Earlier, we in Transnistria held a referendum, at which citizens spoke out for further having peacekeepers on the Dniester. Today, we are collecting the people’s signatures for the same purpose. The signature idea came from our civil society associations, and Transnistria residents have supported it. Besides this, there is a Peace March going on in Transnistria presently in support of the peacekeeping mission”, said the Tiraspol leader.

He stressed that the peacekeeping operation began 25 years ago, and thanks exclusively to it the Transnistrian people have lived in peace this entire period. They want to continue living so, and this is precisely why they are collecting signatures, added Krasnoselsky.

The Transnistrian president commented on the situation developing at the Transnistrian segment of the Moldova-Ukraine border after Moldova and Ukraine have organized their joint border control there.

“Presently, at the Cuciurgan/Pervomaisk border-crossing station, Moldovans let all Transnistrians go all right. However, the holders of Russian and Ukrainian passports are demanded to get registered. And Ukrainian border guards do not let cross the border to Transnistrian men – citizens of Russia. At all! So far, Transnistria-made goods cross the border without problems. But what the situation will be like when all such 13 border-crossing stations start working – time will show. So, we live in a wait-and-see regime. And we are insisting on re-starting the 5+2 negotiating format”, said Vadim Krasnoselsky.

Infotag’s dossier: The peacekeeper operation on the Dniester was commenced in August 1992 in conformity with the Agreement on the Principles of a Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in the Transnistrian region of Moldova (of July 21, 1992). Presently, the joint peacekeeping forces consist of the military contingents of Russia (402 men), Moldova (355) and Transnistria (492), as well as 10 military observers from Ukraine.

Besides this, the Russian Federation deploys its Operative Group of Russian Troops (OGRV) in Transnistria – slightly over 1,000 men, who are in charge of guarding the huge military depots located near the village of Kolbasna containing over 20,000 tons of Russian weapons and armaments stored there yet since the Soviet times. Russia would not remove the arsenals despite its promise given to the OSCE yet in 2000-2002.

For many years, the official Chisinau has been insisting on withdrawal of the Russian troop and armaments in accordance with the commitments Russia undertook at the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit. Chisinau maintains that the military peacekeeper mission on the Dniester should be replaced with an international mission of civilian observers under the OSCE auspices. However, Russia and the unrecognized Transnistrian republic stand categorically against this in a belief that the Russian military should be remaining in the Moldovan territory until full settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. Moscow supports the breakaway Transnistrian region in all possible ways, including financially.