Russia blocked Council of Europe declaration regarding the disapproval of Transnistria referendum

The Ministries Committee of the Council of Europe examined during its meeting on Wednesday, September 13, in Strasbourg, the possibility to adopt a Declaration regarding the intentions of the separatist Transnistrian region authorities to organize on September 17 the so-called referendum on the region’s independence. The declaration project appealed CoE member countries not to monitor the referendum. The Russian Federation was the only country to oppose, and used all possible resources as the current President of the Ministries Committee of the CoE to trouble the document’s signing. According to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the project of this declaration was elaborated and forwarded to the Ministries Committee by the delegation of the Republic of Moldova to CoE and was criticizing the intentions of the separatist authorities from Tiraspol to organize the mentioned plebiscite, as well as the unrecognizing of the referendum results. The document’s project was supported by the European Union member countries, GUAM, Bulgaria, Norway, Romania, and Turkey. Of the 46 member countries of the Council of Europe, only the Russian Federation rejected the declaration, without motivating its official position on the document. Considering the situation, the EU member countries from the CoE decided to adopt the Declaration from behalf of the European Union, and thus disapprove the biased decision of the separatist authorities from the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova to organize a referendum, and “if the referendum takes place, EU will not recognize its results”. The declaration was published on behalf of the Union, by the Finland delegation as the current President of the EU. EU suggests the Tiraspol authorities to have a more constructive approach to the problem, as well as to immediately restart the negotiations in the 5+2 format. Considering the circumstances created by the debates from within the Ministries Committee, the Russian Federation, as the current President of the Ministries Committee of CoE, issued personal declaration that states it supports the Declaration of the General Secretary of September 6, 2006, according to which the plebiscite from the left bank of Nistru “will have no juridical value” for the European community. According to the procedures of the Ministries Committee of CoE, in order to adopt a declaration the approval of all member countries is required. The Presidency of the Russian Federation in the Ministries Committee ends this November, and will be taken over by San Marino.