US criticises Russia’s stance on Moldova and Georgia

The US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, levelled criticisms at Russia for blocking Moldova’s and Georgia’s economic development, and for exerting "economic and financial pressures", “Ziua” newspaper reports, cited by Info-Prim Neo. “Certain countries in the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe have resorted to economic and financial pressures to impose their will to their neighbours'', said Burns at the 14-th OSCE annual conference that was held in Brussels, directly hinting at Russia. “In particular, two member states are subjected to strong pressure. Long-lasting conflicts and foreign threats in Moldova and Georgia hinder the good economic and democratic development of the sovereign states", US official stated. Reminding Moscow that it did not fulfil its commitments assumed in Istanbul, in 1999, regarding the withdrawal of the Russian troops and property from Transnistria and Georgia, the US official made an appeal to Russia to call back its solders. At the same time, the US official insisted on bringing to light the presence of certain pro-Russian separatist elements in Moldova and Georgia, as well as in Transnistria and, respectively, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The USA will insist on Russia to keep its promise made in Istanbul, in 1999, stressed the US official, saying that it is just "a matter of time" to fulfil the commitments assumed in Istanbul. In the context of showing a "special interest" in the Transnistrian dispute, Romania reiterated its support in making efforts to find solutions to it, with a view to respecting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integration of Moldova. "The separatists’ attempts, such as the recently held referendum on Transnistria’s independence, must be firmly discouraged", stated the Romanian Foreign minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting. Along with the USA and Romania, and the European Union, the acting Chairmanship of OSCE, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia urged the Russian Federation, during the14-th OSCE Ministerial Council held in Brussels, to entirely fulfil its commitments assumed at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul (1999) concerning the full withdrawal of its forces from Moldova.