Moldovan delegation to Joint Control Commission insists on removing any border guards post illegally set in Security Zone

Chisinau, 21 December /MOLDPRES/ - The initiatives of Moldova’s delegation to the Joint Control Commission (JCC) to prompt the sides implement the commitment taken in 2017, which sees the adoption of a mechanism of monitoring the Security Zone according to the present rigours, were obstructed by the members of the Transnistrian delegation at a JCC meeting, held in Bender on 20 December.   

According to the Reintegration Policies Bureau, the procedure used by them consisted in the contraposition of a petition, through which they demanded the revision of the status of penitentiaries from the Bender city, subordinated to the constitutional authorities, asking for their displacement for medical reasons. 

In retort, the Moldovan delegation warned about the need to objectively approach the situation regarding the penitentiaries and the Bender settlement on the whole. The serious problems dealing with the work of these penitentiaries are triggered by the blockage organized by the Transnistrian side through the unjustified disconnection of all vital components (electric energy, water, thermal energy, sewerage) back in 2003.   

Also, the participants in the JCC meeting brought for discussion the subject on the abusive presence of the Transnistrian military units in the Bender city (with increased security regime), as well as of other structures in the Security Zone. In particular, they evoked the case of “border commandant’s offices”, set up in form of military units.  

Given the consensual principle applied when placing subjects on the agenda, the participants in the meeting started considering the aspects initially proposed by Russia’s delegation and only the ones postponed at the previous meetings were excluded. 

Thus, the sides heard a report by the Joint Military Command for the period 12-18 December 2018 and put forward Sergey Safronov as head of the Joint General Staff of the Peacekeeping Forces and dismissed Vitaly Morozov from the same office, in connection with the end of his job mission.     

The sides failed to reach common mind on also on the issue of removing the Transnistrian “border guards” post between the settlements Cremenciug and Slobozia. The Transnistrian side claims that it has fulfilled the commitments of withdrawing the stationary post, further operating with a mobile post. An inspection made by military observers shows that the constructions have not been fully evacuated. The Moldovan delegation insists on the removal of any post (stationary or mobile), illegally set in the Security Zone. As a result, the decision on this subject was postponed; yet, the subject will be kept in the focus till the full implementation of the commitments assumed.   

JCC will hold its last meeting from 2018 on 27 December.