EQUIPO NIZKOR |
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20Aug08
Moldovan president: Peacekeeping forces in countries with frozen conflicts need to be reorganized
It is necessary to reorganize the peacekeeping forces in the states where they are deployed, especially in the countries facing frozen conflicts, in order to meet security challenges in these zones. Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin made this statement at a news conference held on the occasion of a flash visit to Chisinau by Romanian President Traian Basescu, reports Moldova-press, Moldovan official news agency.
In this connection, Voronin announced that it was necessary to intensify the dialog in settling the Transdnestr conflict and reintegration of the Republic of Moldova, by engaging the European Union more actively in the process. Vladimir Voronin underscored that the Dnestr conflict must be solved exclusively by peaceful means, at the negotiation table only; the world community must combine effort and prevent from such conflicts breaking out like the South Ossetian one.
Romanian President Traian Basescu said that the Transdnestr problem has causes differing from other conflicts, such as the one in Kosovo or recently, in South Ossetia. According to Basescu, following the discussions with President Vladimir Voronin, he "especially highly appreciated Moldova's ability to answer in no way to any provocation on behalf of Transdnestr". The Romanian president also said that, "any limits of decency are overstepped the moment when the Transdnestrians refuse any kind of discussions with the sovereign authority of the Moldovan state." Basescu said that he and Vladimir Voronin came to a conclusion that the European Union's involvement is fundamental and essential for finding a solution that would fall under the international law, and which would fully observe Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
For his part, the Moldovan leader declared that during the talks with the Romanian counterpart they found real premises that allow stating that many bilateral problems unsettled for many years would be settled soon.
As REGNUM reported earlier, on August 11, the Moldovan Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration announced its support for the declaration of the French chairmanship in the European Union regarding the situation in South Ossetia (the declaration was released on August 8). The statement of the Moldovan ministry reminded that the declaration stated that "the European Union expressed grave concern about the military conflict in South Ossetia (Georgia) and calls the parties to cease fire and resume the talks for political solution of the crisis while observing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia."
In its turn, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Transdnestrian Moldovan Republic announced on August 12 that it imposed a moratorium for contacts of the governments of Transdnestr and Moldova "until the Moldovan government condemns resolutely and unconditionally Georgia's aggression and Moldova returns to equal treatment of all mediators and observers in the conflict settlement deriving from their international legal status defined by agreements in the negotiation process." "It is evident that the Republic of Moldova was very selective in choosing forms of interaction and expert activity. Thus, for instance, the USA is allowed inviting experts from conflict parties into the embassy to discuss the road problems, while the Russian Federation that initiated a meeting of experts in humanitarian aid and rendered such assistance, the Moldovan government rejects such meeting motivating it by the fact that a meeting at the embassy means ‘politicizing’ the problem. Such selective tactics of the Moldovan side has little to do with principles of justice and equal rights and means that Chisinau chose practically the same policy as Tbilisi did, pursuing the same goals — to choose the format of talks and minimize the role of Russia thus establishing conditions for a forceful settlement of the conflict. The fact that the Moldovan government has not yet condemned Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia causes special concern in Transdnestr," the statement of the ministry said.
[Source: Regnum, Moscow, 20Aug08]
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