OSCE PA supports demand for Russian troop withdrawal

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly supports the request by Moldova’s acting President Mihai Ghimpu for the withdrawal of Russian troops and munitions from the Transnistrian region and calls on Russia to resume negotiations on the Transnistrian settlement in the 5+2 format, according to a press release from the Moldovan Parliament. A delegation of the Moldovan Parliament participated during July 6-10 in the 19th annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, held in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Adopting a Resolution on Moldova, the OSCE PA appealed to the Russian Federation “to renew and finalize the process of withdrawal of its troops and munitions from the territory of the Republic of Moldova in accordance with relevant principles of international law and commitments undertaken in the OSCE framework”. The OSCE PA further “invites all participants in the Transnistrian conflict settlement to undertake consultations with a view to transforming the current peacekeeping mechanism into a multinational civilian mission under the international (OSCE) mandate”. Dedicated to the “Rule of Law: Combating Transnational Crime and Corruption”, the 19th OSCE Parliamentary Assembly brought together over 300 parliamentarians from 56 OSCE member countries.