Moldova saw a threat in Transdniestria

Presence of the Russian military was noted in the National Defense Strategy, Kommersant. Last week, the Moldovan parliament approved by the majority of votes the National Defense Strategy for 2018-2021. The document says that the republic intends to maintain its neutral status, but at the same time will deepen cooperation with NATO. One of the main threats to the country’s security is the presence of Russian soldiers on the territory of Transdniestria. At the end of June, the Moldovan authorities introduced and achieved adoption of the resolution on “Complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova”. The Russian Foreign Ministry told Kommersant that Chisinau’s position “poses a threat to the fragile progress that has emerged in the Transdniestrian settlement.” Last week the Moldovan parliament approved in the final reading the National Defense Strategy for 2018-2021 and an action plan for its implementation. The latter provides for an increase in military spending from 625 million lei (about $ 37.5 million) in 2018 to 1.5 billion ($ 90 million) in 2025. The new strategy reads about the intention to maintain the country’s neutral status, enshrined in its constitution. At the same time, the document provides for “strengthening and deepening” of cooperation with NATO. The document says that “as a result of the decisions of the Warsaw NATO summit, the military presence on the eastern flank of the alliance is expected to grow, as well as the consolidation of partnership relations, including with the Republic of Moldova.” Let us recall that since 1994 Moldova has been one of the partners of the North Atlantic Alliance in the post-Soviet space, in particular, it participates in the NATO peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. The Alliance, in its turn, helps to strengthen and modernize the country’s armed forces. In 2017, military exercises were held in Moldova with the participation of US servicemen. Presence of the Russian military in Transdniestria is called a threat in the new strategy. “A military contingent of the Russian Federation (an operational group of Russian troops) is stationed on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which is located here without the legislative consent of the Republic of Moldova and contrary to constitutional norms. Their presence in the context of a possible escalation of the situation in the region poses a threat to national security,” the document says. Let us recall that the Russian military is present in Transdniestria in two formats – as part of the operational group of Russian troops (OGRT) and the peacekeeping mission. OGRT protects warehouses with ammunition and provides support to peacekeepers. In addition to the Russian military, the peacekeeping mission includes representatives of the armed forces of Moldova and the unrecognized republic of Transdniestria. Chisinau insists on withdrawing the whole OGRT from the country, and would like to make a police or civilian mission instead of the peacekeeping mission and preferably transfer it under an international mandate (under the auspices of the UN or the EU). The State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin reminded Kommersant that on July 29 the peacekeeping operation on the Dniester turns 26 years and stated: “Its effectiveness was proved by time.” According to him, “Transdniestria is the only region in Eastern Europe, where after introducing the peacekeeping contingent military operations were stopped and not resumed.” “This operation deserves to be included in the peacekeeping books as a success,” the diplomat is convinced. “No peacekeeper has been injured during the whole period; there has not been a single clash between the parties to the conflict.” He stressed that, "despite all the vicissitudes in the development of relations between the parties to the conflict, their recognition of the inadmissibility of sanctions and blockades remains of great political importance, although not fully implemented by Chisinau.” “We are proud of what Russian servicemen, together with Moldovan and Transdniestrian counterparts, are doing on a daily basis to support civil peace, interethnic harmony and to strengthen common European security,” Grigory Karasin continued. “At the same time, we note the destructive behavior of our Moldovan partners in recent times in this issue.” The Kommersant’s interlocutor supported his thesis with two examples: last year failure of a joint celebration of the 25th anniversary of the peacekeeping mission on the Dniester and the adoption of the Moldovan government’s resolution on “Complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova” by the UN General Assembly on June 22 this year. According to him, the actions of Chisinau “represent a threat to the fragile progress that has emerged in recent months in the Transdniestrian settlement.” Meanwhile, although the pro-Western majority of Moldovan deputies and the USA-EU-oriented government of the country approved the National Defense Strategy, the pro-Russian president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, pointedly presented for discussion an alternative document on “Ensuring the security of the Republic of Moldova and its citizens by strengthening the constitutional status of the country’s permanent neutrality”. It notes that “when big players, great powers cannot agree on mutual respect for each other’s interests, the weaker countries become the first victims of such disagreements”. To protect themselves “in the face of growing uncertainty and increasing geopolitical rivalry between global players”, Moldova, according to its president, should “build a harmonious and balanced foreign policy”. “Such a policy primarily suggests that our country should not be involved in an ephemeral East-West confrontation,” the document reads. Igor Dodon calls for strengthening the status of permanent neutrality, proclaimed by the country’s constitution, and seeking its recognition at the international level, following the example of countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Laos, Cambodia, Ireland, Malta and Turkmenistan. The alternative document does not require the withdrawal of Russian military from Transdniestria. On the contrary, it emphasizes that Russia “is a mediator and guarantor of a comprehensive political settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict”. It also expressed confidence: “Russia will do everything possible to ensure that we have peace, so that Moldova practically realizes its historical chance to develop as an independent, sovereign, territorially integral state within internationally recognized borders.” However, it should be noted that in accordance with the current system of power in Moldova, the president has little to do with and the document presented by Igor Dodon is only his own political declaration. Elena Chernenko, Kommersant