«The Pridnestrovian delegation to the Joint Control Commission (JCC) confirms grave concern over the «Travel Contact Team 2015' joint military exercise of Moldova's National Army and the National Guard of North Carolina being held in the Security Zone (SZ) on 26 March 2015 with the involvement of armoured vehicles, heavy machine guns and small arms," says the statement by the Pridnestrovian delegation to the JCC.
The Pridnestrovian side states Moldova's denying this fact and preferring a groundless counter-charge against Tiraspol of blocking the normal operation of the JCC gives another confirmation that the Moldovan delegation to the JCC is trying to avoid responsibility and is not ready for constructive work.
First, it should be mentioned that it is the Moldovan delegation that is blocking the operation of the JCC, roughly and pointedly violating the JCC regulations. The practice of ultimatums and dictation in pursuing their opportunistic goals is characteristic of Moldova's delegation to the JCC.
In particular, Moldova blocked the normal operation of the JCC in the period from 30 May 2013 to 28 November 2013.
«It might be supposed that such actions are aimed at establishing control of migration flows coming to Moldova in compliance with the decision by Moldova's government, but bypassing the peacekeeping operation. The control has been established as part of the dialogue on visa liberalization regime with the European Union to provide systematic and full-scale registration of citizens going to the right bank of the Dnister. To that end, Moldova has completely re-equipped and reorganised the following border, migration and customs checkpoints: Hirbovet (Anenii Noi), Hadjimus (Causani), Pirita, Criuleni, Rezina, Sanatauca (Floresti). The functionality of these checkpoints has been enhanced and become close to that of a real state border," say representatives of the Pridnestrovian delegation.
According to Pridnstrovie's members of the JCC, this may be corroborated by the fact that Moldova unlocked the work of the JCC right after the announcement in November — December 2013 that the reorganisation of checkpoints into territorial offices of the bureau of migration and asylum had been finished. The discussion of this border issue «with hindsight» could not make any fundamental adjustments.
«Moldova further continued this practice. On 26 May 2014 Moldova's delegation to the JCC declared that they would not consider any issues on the session agenda until it completed with the issue on «freedom of movement» in the Security Zone.» That approach was a grave violation of the JCC regulations. The ultimatum-like blocking of the JCC work by the Moldovan delegation has already lasted for 11 months. Their logic is quite simple: we discuss «freedom of movement in the Security Zone» in order to approve the only possible decision (suitable for Moldova only) as a result, or we do not discuss anything at all. It went so far that the Moldovan delegation insists that this decision should be agreed upon and approved in advance, i. e. before discussing the issue itself. Only then is Moldova ready to unlock the work of the commission. Meantime, Moldova's delegation to the JCC prefers, flouting the governing documents of the peacekeeping operation, to groundlessly blame the Pridnestrovian delegation for blocking the normal operation of the JCC.
The members of the Pridnestrovian delegation emphasise that the Joint Control Commission cannot swiftly react to changing circumstances in the Security Zone without having opportunities for a normal work. As a result, in 2014, without being discussed in person at a JCC session, the infrastructure of border, migration and customs checkpoints in the Security Zone was substantially enhanced.
Moreover, in 2014 dozens of criminal cases against Pridnestrovian authorities were launched for fulfilling their duties in compliance with Pridnestrovie's law. Today Moldova has initiated numerous criminal proceedings against Pridnestrovie's businessmen due to their professional activities.
Meanwhile, the plan of basic measures for the Joint Peacekeeping Forces for the current year has not been approved so far, which does not prevent the Moldovan troops from holding in the Security Zone joint exercises with detachments of foreign armies. However, Moldova tried to disprove this fact.
«The Moldovan delegation's statement 14 of 22 April 2015 puts special emphasis on a list of exercises Pridnestrovie's armed forces held near the Security Zone, which Moldova had always been informed about, although the Moldovan side claims the opposite. In meantime, Moldova's armed forces hold frequent military exercises near the Security Zone, but Pridnestrovie expresses no concern over the fact. What really worries is the ease with which the Moldovan delegation publicly catches Pridnestrovie distorting the reality. The Moldovan delegation claims that the Pridnestrovian document «points out the area where the exercise is to take place — 'the intersection of the M-14 motorway and the Balabanesti-Cimiseni road'. At the described point in Square 1262 is a bridge, which is not in the Security Zone. According to JCC minutes № 3 of 29 July 1992, the SZ includes the intersection in this square, but the bridge is located at a distance from the Security Zone. As a result, the authors of Moldova's statement suppose Pridnestrovie has presented rough misinformation. To keep the context intact, it is necessary to quote the statement by the Pridnestrovian delegation the Moldovan side is so much concerned about: «On 26 March 2015 one of the exercise phases took place within the Central Sector of the Security Zone, near the intersection of the M-14 motorway and the Balabanesti-Cimimiseni road (Square 1262) at the distance of 2 km from the «Bulboaca» polygon. Although, pursuant to JCC minutes № 3 of 29 July 1992, which establishes the Security Zone borders, the intersection in Square 1262, where the mentioned exercise stage took place, is part of in the Central Sector (Dubossary) of the Security Zone. It is quite evident the intersection in issue is in Square 1262. As regards to the bridge on the M-14 motorway (at the intersection with Balabanesti-Cimimiseni road), the statement says it was the site where anti-terrorist actions were practised. Then follows the statement that 'military equipment was involved: two armed armoured personnel carriers, two armed armoured Hummer vehicles and one Ural lorry. The weapons were used to fire blank rounds,' announces the Pridnestrovian delegation to the JCC.
The Pridnestrovian delegation expresses concern over the illegal participation of foreign troops in this exercise held within the Security Zone, which is not stipulated in the 1992 Agreement.
«The presence of armoured vehicles and US troops in the Security Zone is quite evident in the photographs attached to the statement, where they can be clearly seen at this very intersection (the road sign is visible), which is the part of the Central Sector of the Security Zone (Square 1262), where the above-mentioned exercise phase took place. The question is why it was necessary to make so loud accusations of Pridnestrovie in shaming and lack of conscientiousness, while it is quite evident these accusations are based on juggling with facts and distortion of the information presented by the Pridnestrovian side. Moreover, the exercises of Pridnestrovie's armed forces and Russia's contingent the Moldovan delegation refers to were held by the participants of the peacekeeping operation as part of the scheduled combat training. At least, there are not and cannot be any restrictions in the governing documents of the peacekeeping operation in this regard. But how the National Guard of North Carolina relates to the peacekeeping mission in the region is a question which has no logical explanation. That is the reason why the Pridnestrovian delegation insists on the investigation pursuant to Clause 4 Article 2 of the 1992 Agreement. The refusal of the Moldovan delegation to carry out such investigation may be regarded as reluctance to comply with the operational procedures of the peaceful settlement of the conflict," underscore the Tiraspol representatives.
The Pridnestrovian delegation called on its Moldovan colleagues to stop this nonconstructive practice of blocking the normal operation of the JCC and return to unconditional implementation of the JCC regulations, «based on which to start seeking for compromise solutions to the issues which may destabilise the situation in the Security Zone if unsolved.»
