The UN General Assembly on June 22 adopted a resolution titled “Complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova” that was proposed by Moldova. A number of 64 states voted for, 15 voted against, while 83 states abstained, IPN reports.
Introducing the draft text, Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ulianovschi noted that the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity were at stake, underscoring that the proposed resolution was in no way a bid for confrontation, nor was it intended to politicize the issue. “The continued stationing of the Russian troops and munitions on Moldova’s territory without its consent is incompatible with its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” stated the minister.
The Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Dmitri Poliansky proposed that consideration of the draft should be postponed through a no-action motion. He noted that the resolution will have a negative impact on the rapprochement between the two sides of the Nistru and on the progress made recently in the Transnistrian settlement process. He emphasized that the Republic of Moldova itself was divided on the issue at hand and its President Igor Dodon criticized the initiative proposed by the government. For that reason the vote should be delayed, allowing for the opportunity to further work on the draft. The no-action motion was not adopted.
By the terms of the text, the Assembly expressed its deep concern about the continued stationing of the Operational Group of Russian Forces on the territory of the Republic of Moldova without the consent of that State or of the United Nations. It urged the Russian Federation to complete, unconditionally and without further delay, the orderly withdrawal of the Operational Group. It also emphasized the commitment by the Russian Federation to complete that withdrawal within a specific timetable, as agreed at the 1999 Istanbul Summit.
The draft resolution had as co-authors Canada, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, the UK and Ukraine. Alongside Moldova, among the countries that voted for the withdrawal of the Russian troops were the U.S, Germany, France, the UK, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vanuatu and others. Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe voted against.
In a comment on his official Facebook page, Prime Minister Pavel Filip said he is grateful to the 64 states that supported the wish to see the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity respected. “It is a historical decision that is possibly the most important one since the obtaining of independence. It is a success of the Moldovan diplomatic service, the Government, and, above all, of our country and all is people,” he wrote.
According to the Government’s press service, the initiative was formulated by Prime Minister Pavel Filip in his speech given from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2017.
