Transnistria and Gagauzia

MOLDOVAN FOREIGN MINISTER CONCERNED ABOUT FRANCO FRATTINI’S STATEMENTS

16 march, 2018

In his Friday’s interview with Radio Romania-Chisinau, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ulianovschi expressed concern about the statements made recently by OSCE Special Representative on Transnistria Franco Frattini concerning the inadmissibility of withdrawing Russian troops from Moldova.

“The statements made by Mr. Frattini to the Russian press present interest, but also cause our concern. I mean, in particular, the stance expressed in connection with the withdrawal of foreign troops and ammunition from Moldova”, the Moldovan foreign minister said, and reminded about the OSCE Istanbul Summit Accords of 1999, when the Russian Federation undertook to remove its troops from Moldova [namely from the Transnistrian region].

“The Moldovan Government’s position on this issue is known and is supported by the international community, including by all OSCE member countries. This position is as follows: the illegitimate staying of foreign troops is inadmissible and they must be withdrawn in accordance with Russia’s international commitments”, said Tudor Ulianovschi.

He highly assessed the previous activities and the political experience of Franco Frattini.

“I count very much on Mr. Frattini’s wisdom. When he comes to Chisinau and visits Tiraspol [later this month], he should get to know the real situation here so that to achieve a successful realization of the protocols signed in 2017 at the very end of the previous Austrian OSCE Presidency”, said the Moldovan minister.

He said that Franco Frattini is coming to Moldova next week [according to the OSCE Mission to Moldova – on March 26-28].

“I think it is very important to be in a direct touch with him, so that Mr. Frattini could come to know the real situation in the Republic of Moldova – without go-betweens. On the other side, any statements should proceed from earlier commitments and earlier accords reached in various OSCE formats”, said Tudor Ulianovschi.

In his opinion, any statements by the OSCE Special Representative “should take these processes into account and should not politicize the Transnistrian settlement dialog… In the course of his mandate, Franco Frattini should be bringing the Dniester River banks together and promoting decisions that would bring good to every citizen”.

As was already reported by Infotag, at the beginning of March Franco Frattini visited Moscow and stated inter alia that Chisinau’s demands to withdraw the Russian troops from the Republic of Moldova territory “are cut off from the reality”.

In response, speaking out the position of the official Chisinau earlier this week, ruling Democratic Party leader Vlad Plahotniuc named Franco Frattini’s sayings as “unexpected” and “ill-considered”.

“We understand Mr. Frattini’s concern about how to ensure, by means of such statements, financial support for the OSCE, including financial one, from behalf of the Russian Federation”, stated Plahotniuc, adding that “such kind of statements made in Moscow or elsewhere may have a very harmful impact on the Transnistrian conflict settlement process”.

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