Neutrality, Consensus and the Environment. Igor DODON Speech at the UN General Assembly

President of Moldova Igor Dodon delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly on September 26. The head of state said that for the first time Moldova is controlled by a coalition of parties with opposing views, which, however, are ready for consensus for the good of the country. At the same time, he emphasized that they are united by a desire to pursue a “balanced foreign policy with all strategic partners of the country.” Dodon also spoke about the Transnistrian settlement, the neutrality of Moldova and paid attention to the environment. In his speech, Dodon noted that the majority of the population and external partners as Russia, the U.S.A. and the EU support the Moldovan government. He stressed that this has been serious support for the ruling coalition, which is carrying out reforms and needs assistance. Dodon assured that “the exponents of both political parties in the parliamentary majority have already established a constructive dialogue with the Eastern and Western partners, and this essentially increases our chances for obtaining the external support we need. There is a common approach regarding the need to respect all the political and economic agreements signed by the Republic of Moldova, including the Association Agreement with EU and the cooperation within the CIS.” Dodon also spoke out about the Transnistrian settlement. He noted the effectiveness of the negotiation process in the 5+2 format. The head of state said that Moldova would always be neutral from a military point of view. “I believe the key to our success is the promotion of the concept of international recognition of the military neutrality of the Republic of Moldova along with the completion of removal and disposal of ammunition left in the territory of the Republic of Moldova since the Soviet era. Upon reaching the final political settlement of the Transnistrian conflict there will be no need of a peacekeeping mission in our territory,” said Dodon, adding that Moldova needs the support of both Russia and the West. The President noted that Moldovan citizens are also concerned about environmental problems and asked for the support of international partners. “We are few hundred peoples and countries, but we have one home, one planet, which we must take care of together, regardless of our place under the sun,” Dodon stressed. Newsmaker