CHISINAU, Jul 6 Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Recean welcomes the proposal of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to transform the peacekeeping mission on the Dniester into an international civil one, considering that it is necessary to completely demilitarize the security zone in the region.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at its 30th annual session (from June 30 to July 4) proposed to start discussions on transforming the peacekeeping operation in Transnistria into a civilian mission under an international mandate.
«We must regulate this conflict exclusively by peaceful means, this is a good way to, among other things, evacuate Russian troops from the Security Zone and the Transnistrian region. This is our goal — to completely demilitarize the zone. And then a civilian mission will be a very good solution «, Rechan told reporters.
Transnistria, 60% of whose inhabitants are Russians and Ukrainians, sought secession from Moldova even before the collapse of the USSR, fearing that Moldova would join Romania on the wave of nationalism. In 1992, after a failed attempt by the Moldovan authorities to solve the problem by force, Transnistria became virtually a territory not controlled by Chisinau. Peace in the zone of the Transnistrian conflict is supported by a joint peacekeeping force, which includes 402 Russian military personnel, 492 Transnistrian, 355 Moldovan, as well as ten military observers from Ukraine. The peacekeepers serve at 15 stationary posts and checkpoints, which are located in key sections of the security zone.