OSCE community condemned the intention of the separatist regime from Tiraspol to organize a so-called referendum

OSCE community condemned, within the works of the Standing Council which took place on July 18 the intention of the breakaway regime from Tiraspol to organize a so-called referendum regarding the future of the Transnistrian region. In this context, the European Union, USA, GUAM member states as well as the Republic of Moldova declared that this illegal referendum will not be considered valid as well as its results. In a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration is mentioned that EU disapproved the unilateral decision of Tiraspol’s leadership, mentioning that it will only make the settlement process more difficult. EU asked Tiraspol to adopt a constructive attitude and to resume without any preconditions the “5+2” negotiation format. USA qualified the intention of Tiraspol as unserious and asked Russia to publicly denounce the so-called referendum if it wants to be considered a neutral mediator of the Transnistrian conflict. USA urged the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces out of the Transnistrian region in order to fulfill the engagements taken in Istanbul. GUAM states qualified the decision of the administration from Tiraspol as unilateral and against the norms, international standards and goals of the negotiation process. GUAM compels the attention of the international community on the lack of democratic institutions and presence of foreign military forces in the region. Saying that they will never recognize the results of such a referendum, GUAM states reiterated the firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova. Moldova condemned the anti-constitutional decision of the separatist regime from Tiraspol and emphasized that this pseudo-referendum will not be recognized. Chisinau declared that it will qualify any attempt to support, monitor or recognize this illegal referendum as interference in the internal affairs of Moldova. It reiterated its demand to transform the so-called peacekeeping mission in the Transnistrian region into a multinational mission with international mandate until the end of this year, is also said in the press release. At the same time the Russian press announces that the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to OSCE, Alexei Borodavkin declared within the Reunion that Russia does not agree with the statements that the planned referendum is “provocative” and “unserious”. According to the Russian official, this action must be considered as a retort to the last evolutions in the Transnistrian problem. On Tuesday, the chairman of Foreign Affairs Commission of Russia’s State Duma declared in Moscow, that “the legitimacy of the referendum can not be disputed in case it will be transparent and democratic”, specifying that the Russian observers will monitor the electoral processes from Transnistria, regardless if Chisinau or the West agrees or not. “Only the invitation of Tiraspol counts”, the Russian official told. Authorities from Tiraspol announced recently that the referendum will take place on September 17. The questions to which the inhabitants of the region will answer are: “Do you want Transnistria to become a part of Moldova” or “Do you want to adhere to the Russian Federation?” The president of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, as well a series of international organizations declared that the Transnistrian referendum is not legal because it will be organized by a underground regime in a region occupied by the Russian army and because in the region all the conditions for a democratic electoral process are missing.