Joint Control Commission holds weekly meeting in Bender

Chisinau, 17 February /MOLDPRES/ - A weekly meeting of the Joint Control Commission today was held in Bender, with the participation of the delegations of Moldova, Russia and the Transnistrian region, as well as of representatives of Ukraine and OSCE Mission, the Reintegration Policies Bureau has reported.    

During the formation of the agenda, Moldova’s delegation asked to exclude the subject on the regulation of the actions of the quick reaction groups of the sides’ military contingents in the Joint Peacekeeping Forces, so that the trainings of these groups can be carried out only outside the Security Zone.  

This initiative triggered hot discussions, as the Transnistrian representatives tried to persuade that the trainings of the quick reaction groups with the ammunitions’ use would be something normal for a peacekeeping mission.

Chisinau’s delegation reminded that, in the Security Zone, services come already prepared to fulfill the peacekeeping mission, not to train, especially in conditions when they cause the alarming of the residents of the nearby settlements.   

The same message was reiterated in a declaration of Moldova’s delegation, which read that, starting from August 2021, after numerous trainings held with the use of imitation means, citizens’ concerns grew, especially in the context of the enhancement of the regional tension.  

Tiraspol’s retort to carry out ‘’explanatory work’’ with the population was described as insult against people, as this implies that the residents are suggested to get used to the roars and smoke of blasts in the Security Zone.   

The duty of the peacekeepers is to establish and maintain peace, the declaration reads; and the fact that the citizens feel intimidated and express concern about the trainings held in the Security Zone obliges the Joint Control Commission to take attitude.

Thus, in order to ensure stability in the Security Zone, reestablish the climate of trust in the work of JCC and the Joint Military Command, Moldova’s delegation asked the sides to quickly consider and back the proposal to carry out the training process at the points of permanent deployment of the quick reaction groups (in military units).   

The issue of military contingents’ trainings was approached also by the OSCE Mission in Moldova, which monitors the situation in the Security Zone and, in an appeal from 2 February 2022, it asked the sides to examine possibility to inform in advance its representatives about the trainings planned. For the time being, JCC has not taken a unanimous decision, with the sides agreeing to hold additional consultations.   

As for the other aspects considered at the meeting, it is worth mentioning the confirmation to office of a military observer on behalf of Moldova and the approval of the report of the Joint Military Command on the situation in the Security Zone for 9-15 February 2022.