The Moldovan authorities said there has been no clear report on the munitions warehouse in Cobasna so far and an effective inspection there, including with the participation of the OSCE, could clarify the situation. According to Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Cristinei Lesnic, Chisinau asked for such an inspection last year, but all in vain.

“These munitions can cause a crisis situation and it is important to see how the institutional authorities can react to ensure security. I think an effective inspection with the participation of interested persons, including the OSCE, can ensure things are managed correctly and will help us learn what we can do with the munitions that no longer meet the preservation requirements,” Cristina Lesnic told a news conference held in concert with the OSCE Special Representative for the Transnistrian Settlement Process Franco Frattini on May 11, IPN reports.

The Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration also said that in the discussions with Franco Frattini, she reiterated that no unilateral action that can obstruct the things done by the people should be allowed. They also discussed the problem of Varnița after the Transnistrian leader on January 25 signed a decision saying the village is temporarily under the control of the Republic of Moldova. “This is a sensitive subject that necessitates immediate involvement,” stated Cristina Lesnic.

For his part, Franco Frattini said they work on the organization of a visit by the mediators and observers at the Transnistrian Settlement Process to Cobasna. Last year they didn’t manage to do this. The warehouse contains obsolete munitions that cannot be transported elsewhere to be destroyed and these pose a threat to the people.

Franco Frattini also said that in the discussions he will have with Transnistrian officials, he will raise the issue of Varnița, the situation of the munitions warehouse in Cobasna and the adoption procedures applied on the left side of the Nistru. “I understood there are cases when the procedures are not respected as regards the separation from brothers, biological families. We will monitor this aspect so that the procedures are close to the international standards,”  stated the OSCE Special Representative.

The OSCE Special Representative for the Transnistrian Settlement Process Franco Frattini is visiting Chisinau and Tiraspol on May 10 and 11 for talks with high-level Moldovan officials and the political leadership in Tiraspol.