Moldovan Reintegration Deputy Minister Postolachi Asks US and EU for Support
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Thursday, 10 November 2005
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Moldova.org - Falls Church, VA, USA
Washington, DC November 10, 2005 (Moldova Foundation) -- In his recent trip to London and Washington, the Deputy Reintegration Minister of the Republic of Moldova Victor Postolachi asked the two new members of the negotiation format within the Transnistrian conflict settlement for support. Last month, on October 27-28, for the first time the European Union and the United States took part in the negotiations as observers along with Russia, Ukraine and OSCE that are mediators between the central Government of Moldova and the separatist regime in its Eastern region Transnistria.
Thirteen years of negotiations were held just for the sake of negotiation?, said Postolachi on November 9 at a presentation held at the National Press Club sponsored by the Moldova Foundation.
In my meetings with officials in London and Washington, I have asked for support to convince Russia to withdraw its troops and munitions from Moldova?. He believes that it will be a major breakthrough in the conflict resolution when Russia will pull out its troops that act both as a military and psychological shield for the secessionists. Besides, in the recent finding of the Moldovan Academy of Science, experts pointed out that the huge stockpiles of munitions at the Colbasna weapons dump in the breakaway region could produce an explosion with a deadly force within a radius of 500 km, thus reaching not only Moldova and Ukraine, but also Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary and even Russia.
Since 1991, Transnistrian enclave was consolidated as a separate entity from Moldova with the political, economic, financial and military support of the Russian Federation. Russia is not interested in loosing its influence in the region and sees Transnistria as a leverage to keep both Moldova and its neighbor Ukraine under its control. Having Moldova and Ukraine moving towards the EU and NATO membership, Russia sees Transnistria as its ?œsecond Kaliningrad inside the Euro-Atlantic structures and uses all its means to implement this strategy. From the other hand, Moldova hopes that the new comers ? the EU and US - will reduce Russias dominant presence at the talks and will help to unite Transnistria with the rest of Moldova.
Source: Moldova Foundation
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