Main issues 1994-2000
Over the past decade, not much progress had been made in solving the Transnistrian dispute. The Russian troops stationed in the region as a peacekeeping force after the cease-fire of the civil war have not withdrawn. Since then, the Moldovan official have had no actual control of the region. An agreement signed in 1994 regarding complete withdrawal has not been ratified by the Russian side. The Russian and Moldovan prime-ministers signed a withdrawal treaty, effective three years from ratification, on October 21, 1994, and in 1995 the Russian 14th Army was finally downgraded to the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Moldova. At that time about 4,000 to 6,000 Russian troops were present in the Transnistria.
At the OSCE Istanbul Summit in November 1999, Russia pledge withdrawal of the Russian troops stationed in Transnistria (except the approximately 500 troops that are part of the peacekeeping forces) by the end of 2002. Another important issue, besides the removal of troops is the vast amounts of Russian military equipment stored in Transnistria. In Istanbul, Russia made a commitment to remove its military equipment at the end of 2001. The Moldovan Government and Western countries consider the foreign military presence, including the huge amount of ammunition stockpiled in the Transnistrian region, as a real threat to the stability and security of the entire region, as well as a serious obstacle in the process of Transnistrian conflict settlement. According to Russian data, the quantity of the ammunitions in the stocks of the Operational Group of Russian Forces located in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova amounted to 42,000 tons.
Current Issues 2000-2004
After the parliamentary elections in December 2000, the separatist leader Igor Smirnov came back to power as president for his third term in the beginning of 2001. Other contenders for the presidential spot have been excluded from participating and the elections are reported to have been held under pressure. The Transnistrian political structures do not allow the residents to democratically elect its leaders as well as prevent them from freely participating in the Moldovan elections. A local representation of the Communist Party of Moldova is the only opposition group, but it has minor influence, while other factions, political formations and parties are virtually non-existent. The Transnistrian government controls most of the print and electronic media of the region, restricting the freedom of speech as well as religious freedom. In the recent years it has treated the independent newspapers harshly as well as denied registration to certain religious groups.
After the elections in 2001 in Moldova, with the victory of the Communist Party and Vladimir Voronin’s election as president, things with either the withdrawal of Russian military forces or the resolution of conflict have not progressed. Russia has announced definite commitment to withdrawal in 2002 and thus was able to extend the deadline until the end of 2003. Some changes have been witnessed during 2003 as several trainloads of Russian military equipment have left Transnistria and moved to Russia.
The Federalization Proposal
In 2002, after talks between OSCE, Russian and Ukrainian mediators of the conflict, a document setting forth a blueprint for reuniting Moldova under a federal system has been approved. The Joint Constitutional Committee composed of members of the Moldovan government and Transnistrian representatives worked on a plan to create a federal structure for Moldova that would allow for Transnistria’s reintegration. Despite the progress achieved, several problems precluded its acceptance. In April 2003, the Moldovan Government and the Transnistrian authorities have attempted to draft a constitution for a reintegrated state. Yet the most important substantive problem remained the different visions between the Moldovan preference for a federal state with a clearly identified center and the Transnistrian authorities’ preference for a “common state” - one that would be a confederation of two distinct states.
Moldova has repeatedly called on members of the international community as well as international organization for a monitoring of the Transnistrian border. Moldova also has not signed a settlement agreement with Transnistria, set up by Russia at the end of 2003. In 2003, Moldova and Ukraine have reached an agreement by which Ukraine would no longer acknowledge the custom stamps used by Transnistria for exports. Yet in reality, the illegal trade has not ceased and the Moldovan Government has little control of Transnistrian affairs. Russia has not removed its military forces and ammunition as stipulated by the Istanbul accords and the process has been come to a standstill during the 2004 as well.
After the publishing of a treaty draft that attempts to solve the Transnistrian conflict by federalizing Moldova, a wave of protest has risen. The previous OSCE drafts have been rejected by Transnistrian officials, yet the new ones compiled by the Russian administration, otherwise known as the Kozak Memorandum, appeared to be supported by officials on both sides of Nistru. However, under the criticism of OSCE and the rally of the Moldovan opposition against the “destruction of state’s independence”, the Moldovan President has at the last moment temporarily abstained from signing it.
The 2004 Crisis of the Moldovan schools in Transnistria
In the beginning of 2004, several Transnistrian school with Moldovan (Romanian) as a language of instruction have been closed down by the separatist authorities. The crisis has resulted in the heightening of tensions between Moldova and Transnistria and the intervention of the international community. Approximately 4,000 students have been left without a place to study and offered an alternative to transfer to schools where Russian is the language of instruction. Moldova has attempted to turn to actions intended to destabilize the economic situation in Transnistria and blocked the railroads. But the interdependency of the two sides since the Soviet times has back-lashed and made itself felt in Moldova as well. Due to international pressure, the crisis has been solved in September 2004.
Questions, comments, suggestions for corrections: contact Victoria Teterceva
Last updated: May 9, 2005