Russian arms on Moldovan territory hinder settlement of Transnistrian dispute

The non-fulfillment of commitments assumed by the Russian Federation at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul regarding the unconditioned withdrawal of the Army forces and ammunition from the Moldovan territory, in NATO members’ opinion, stands as a serious obstacle in the way of settling the Transnistrian conflict. According to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the meeting of the NATO Political Committee, with the participation of the member states + Moldova (26+1), took place at the General headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance. The Moldovan delegation has informed about the evolutions at national level in the process of implementing the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), the Republic of Moldova – NATO, as well as about the results of the recent assessment mission carried out by the NATO experts in Chisinau. There were highlighted the last evolutions concerning the settlement of the Transnistrian issue. The allied states were informed about the report “The unfreezing of the frozen conflict: legal aspects of the separatist crisis in Moldova” and the relevance of the conclusions of this report viewed under the aspect of the international law. During the debates the allied states voiced the support of Moldova’s efforts in carrying out the IPAP and willingness to offer assistance in implementing the Plan. They have emphasized the necessity of settling the conflict by identifying the legal status of the Transnistrian region in the composition of the Republic of Moldova with the observance of the territorial integrity and country’s sovereignty. On the occasion of the meeting, the Moldovan delegation met with Robert Simmons, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Security Cooperation and Partnership. They have discussed issues related to Moldova’s cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance.