Tiraspol representatives turn more tense work of Joint Control Commission

Chisinau, 26 July /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova’s delegation to the Joint Control Commission (JCC), at a 25 July JCC meeting, intervened with a draft commitment, thereby requesting that the sides abstain from undertaking unilateral actions which would worsen situation in the Security Zone (military exercises, strengthening the border infrastructure, setting border guard posts, etc.) in August (period of break planned in the Commission’s work), the Reintegration Policies Bureau has reported. 

The intense discussions on the subject, multiple reformulations of the draft, in order to integrate the arguments and viewpoints of the delegations, including the pauses demanded for additional consultations, regretfully did not lead to the acceptance of such a request by the Transnistrian delegation.     

The participants in the meeting continued tense discussions on the need to consider, on the whole, the serious situation emerged after the Tiraspol authorities had transferred the powers of the so-called migration structures to the alleged militarized border guard troops, as well as the illegal setting of additional border guards’ posts in the Security Zone.    

During three weeks in a row, the Transnistrian region’s representatives have categorically turned down the Russian delegation’s compromise proposal to start an analysis on the subject. Although all interlocutors (Moldova, Russia, OSCE Mission and Ukraine) voiced support for the draft agenda and discouraged the arguments of the Transnistrian side, the latter continues to groundlessly block the initiative.    

The series of infringements committed by the para-military formations of Transnistrian border guards continued on the concerned period. In particular, the Chisinau delegation drew attention to maintaining restrictions and impose interdiction to a family with two children to cross the alleged border to the settlement of residence Molovata Noua. In connection with this abuse, Moldova’s delegation repeatedly appealed to the JCC’s components to remove the obstacles to the free movement through the Security Zone.     

As to organization matters, in the context of the anniversary of the Day of Introduction of Peacekeepers in the Security Zone, the sides approved a plan proposed by the Joint Military Command, which contains the activities due to be carried out only with the participation of the Commission members and servicemen of the peacekeeping forces on 29 July 2019.