Transnistrian settlement is possible, if Russia withdraws army, NATO secretary general suggests

“The solution of the Transnistrian conflict is possible, if Russia abides by its Istanbul commitments,” NATO's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, stated in Chisinau. Russia committed at an OSCE summit in 1999 in Istanbul to pull back its troops from Moldova till 2001, and then in Porto – till 2003, but has never kept its word, invoking interdictions on behalf of Tiraspol leader Igor Smirnov, Info-Prim Neo reports. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says the NATO allies see one of the main principles, the settlement of the conflict should base on, in the withdrawal of the Russian army from Moldova. After a meeting with Vladimir Voronin on Thursday, the secretary general thanked the President for agreeing to send 5 Moldovan helicopters in humanitarian missions to Afghanistan, under the UN's aegis. Till disseminating this story, the press units of the President and Government have not yet offered information as to the ownership of and the date of sending the helicopters. Referring to the coming Parliamentary elections in Moldova, the NATO secretary has said the allies take interest in them and hope they will be free and fair. At a joint briefing in the Presidential Palace, Vladimir Voronin has stated he talked with de Hoop Scheffer about the possibility to ink a new Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP). Among others, on the basis of the present IPAP, NATO supports projects dealing with destroying anti-personnel mines, rocket fuel and pesticides in Moldova and provides training for Moldovan military.