Moldovan defence ministry summons Russian military attache

Chisinau, 18 August /MOLDPRES/- Russian Military and Air Attaché in Chisinau Igor Dovbnea was summoned to the Defence Ministry and informed about the concern of the military institution’s leadership on participation of troops of the Russian Operative Tactical Group (GOTR), including the military equipment, in planning, organising and holding joint exercises with the so-called Transnistrian special forces, thus forcing the water of the Dniestre river.

During the 15 and 17 August meetings with Dovbnea, the head of defence policy and planning department within the Defence Ministry, colonel Alexandru Harea, said that the actions did not comply with measures meant to ensure stability in the security zone and violated the provisions of national legislation and treaties signed on the matter.

Harea pointed out that such actions were contrary to the article No 4 of the agreement on principles of peaceful settlement of armed conflict in the Transnistrian region, where the Russian military units, temporarily dislocated in Moldova, should strictly comply with the principle of neutrality.

Also, colonel Harea expressed dissatisfaction with the activity of GOTR commander, colonel Iurie Zelencov, because the latter held provocative actions to Moldova’s security and had unofficial meetings with top leadership of Tiraspol regime.

Harea asked Dovbnea to inform the leadership of the Russian Defence Ministry about discontent of the Moldovan Defence Ministry with GOTR actions and commander, and in his tenure of senior military representative of Russia in Moldova, to take measures in order to avoid such actions in future.

For his part, Dovbnea said that representatives of the Russian Defence Ministry had been informed about the emerged situation, but no answer to the matter.

(Reporter V. Rusu, editor A. Răileanu)