On April 10, 2013, some Russian-language media of Moldova disseminated statement made by Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in the Russian Federation Andrey Galbur citing position of the official representative of the Republic of Moldova on the need to withdraw Russian troops and weapons from Pridnestrovie in accordance with international commitments.
The statement also expresses belief that only multinational peacekeeping operation can have necessary legitimacy and efficiency.
Above statements of the Moldovan Ambassador in the Russian Federation cause some misunderstanding, since Mr. Galbur who represents the Republic of Moldova as an ambassador cannot be unaware of international commitments assumed by RM in accordance with the 1992 Agreement on the Principles of a Peaceful Settlement which established current peacekeeping operation on the Dniester. In subsequent periods – in 1995, 1997 and 1998 – Moldova when signing documents relating to the peacekeeping forces was correspondingly assuming international obligations on ensuring the functioning of the peacekeeping operation on the Dniester. There are no other existing international obligations of the Republic of Moldova or the Russian Federation connected with the Pridnestrovian side that would point to the need for the Russian troops or weapons to be withdrawn from Pridnestrovie.
Hence, we assume that Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova appealing to certain international obligations apparently correlates them with existing commitments of the RM in the framework of the peacekeeping operation.
As it is known, current peacekeeping operation includes contingents of Moldova, Russia, PMR, as well as Ukrainian observers. Furthermore, international practice shows that status of the peacekeeping operation in compliance with generally known legal terms shall be defined upon its establishment which was done in 1992 and later on, as it was indicated above.
Thus, statements made by Mr. Galbur about the fact that multinational nature of the peacekeeping operation with the corresponding status is a necessary prerequisite for its legitimacy and efficiency shall be accepted as an obvious and unquestionable affirmation by RM of legitimacy of currently existing multinational peacekeeping operation
We believe that statements of this kind made in the conditions of the aggravation of the situation in the Security Zone during the last month is an attempt to distract attention from today's urgent matters of bilateral and multilateral interaction. However, we call upon the Republic of Moldova, including its diplomatic representatives, to concentrate on joint efforts in order to solve existing problems using all available formats of interaction – from the dialogue of political representatives and the 5+2 format till cooperation in the framework of the peacekeeping operation and the Joint Control Commission.
