Claus Neukirch, head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, has welcomed the decision by the Transnistrian de facto authorities to retract a decree pronouncing the right-bank Varnița village under temporary occupation by Moldova.
Neukirch in particular praised the retraction as a decision that will allow to maintain the trust and confidence built over the past years in the settlement process. “The Varnița case should be made an example of good co-operation and freedom of movement for the benefit of the population”.
“It is of paramount importance for the Sides to stay on the course of pragmatic solutions and constructive interaction as has been recently demonstrated also by the Moldovan Side in the case of Moldova Steel Works in Transdniestria (MMZ)”, added Claus Neukirch
The official stressed that the OSCE, at its latest annual Ministerial Council, had once again confirmed its commitment to a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable settlement of the Transnistrian conflict based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders with a special status for Transnistria.
On January 25, the de facto president of Transnistria decreed that the village of Varnița, located on the western bank of the Nistru River, was to be considered under Moldova’s temporary occupation. This rendered a number of documents issued by the local authorities unusable by the residents.