Representatives of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, which monitors the Security Zone, have reported to the Unified Control Commission (UCC) that they are being intimidated and restricted in their freedom of movement by Transnistrian force structures.

According to the Moldovan delegation to the JCC, since 11 July monitoring teams of the OSCE Mission to Moldova have been forcibly “accompanied” by representatives of structures subordinate to Tiraspol. Moreover, the Transnistrian “escorts” refused the monitoring team access to Grigoriopol.

“The OSCE Mission to Moldova has assessed the actions of the Transnistrian forces as a serious violation of the principle of freedom of movement. During the discussions, the Chisinau delegation strongly condemned the illegal actions premeditated by Tiraspol against the representatives of the OSCE Mission to Moldova and called for an immediate end to any manifestations of impediment to free movement in the Security Zone,” reads an information note issued by the Moldovan delegation to the CUC.

On Thursday, 14 July, a working meeting of the Joint Control Commission resumed discussions on the situation in the Security Zone in the city of Bender. A new weekly report presented by the Joint Military Command proved “the maintenance of the posts unilaterally set up by Tiraspol since 26 April under the pretext of an alleged terrorist threat”.

The Moldovan delegation reiterated its position on the “illegal and provocative nature of the actions of the Transnistrian force structures taken without the decision of the Joint Control Commission” and demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the posts from the area of responsibility of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces.

The OSCE Mission to Moldova operates in the Security Zone in accordance with the principles of cooperation with the Unified Control Commission, signed on 10 December 2004, with a mandate to provide the Commission with the necessary support to achieve the objective of the Agreement of 21 July 1992 on the Principles of Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in the Transnistrian Region of Moldova.

At the meeting, attempts to find a consensus on the issue of illegal posts failed due to the destructive and provocative behaviour of the Transnistrian delegation, say the delegation representatives.