The OSCE Mission to Moldova expresses its concern with regards to a pontoon bridge laying military exercise conducted by the so-called Transnistrian Armed Forces (TDAF) in the Security Zone near Tiraspol on  September 14, IPN reports.

According to a press release of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, the Mission deployed its team to the respective area of the Security Zone on September 14 and could observe part of an exercise on the river section close to Tiraspol. It was able to monitor the activities without any restrictions by the TDAF.

The OSCE Mission to Moldova immediately shared its observations with all the delegations to the JCC through established channels, in compliance with the Principles of Cooperation between the Joint Control Commission (JCC) and the OSCE Mission to Moldova of 2004.

Military exercises in the Security Zone are required to be authorized by the JCC per the Agreement on Principles of a Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in the Transnistrian Region of the Republic of Moldova of 21 July 1992. In this instance this was not done.