Bendery, 1 March. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The meeting of the Joint Control Commission (JCC) heard and took into account two reports of the Joint Military Command (JMC) on the situation in the Security Zone. The situation was recognized as stable and controlled.
Also, the JCC approved three military observers from Russia. According to Pridnestrovie's JCC co-chairman of the JCC Oleg Belyakov, it is gratifying that the rotation has returned to normal.
The sides also announced the holding in the Security Zone of memorial events dedicated to the anniversary of the beginning of the armed conflict in the region.
The discussion of the issue related to the opening of traffic across the bridge near the villages of Bychok and Gura Bicului continued.
The JCC and the JMC should make a decision to modernise peacekeeping posts at this facility in order, on the one hand, not to interfere with the movement of transport, and on the other - to ensure its security.
Today, the Russian side presented its proposals for the final text of the decision. The new version of the project was rejected by the Moldovan representatives.
"We have studied these proposals, and based on the search for consensus, we agree with the proposals of the Russian side. But, as we see, the Moldovan side took a sharp position and does not want to meet halfway," said Oleg Belyakov.
He drew attention to the fact that the Moldovan side is trying to include in the document the aspects that are beyond the JCC's jurisdiction, as well as to create a new monitoring mechanism.
"The Moldovan side is trying to introduce some new monitoring mechanism. And this cannot but be viewed with alarm, because the peacekeeping mechanism whichhas worked all these years has proved its efficiency from the point of view of ensuring security. Some other monitoring missions are counterproductive today. The Pridnestrovian side sees further continuation of the peacekeeping operation exclusively within the framework of the 1992 Agreement," stressed Belyakov.
Located on the international highway M14, which connects Brest, Kishinev and Odessa, the bridge was destroyed in 1992 during Moldova's armed aggression against Pridnestrovie. In 2001 the bridge was restored but remained closed to traffic due to disagreements between Moldova and Pridnestrovie on a number of key issues.
The agreement to open the bridge was reached after President Krasnoselsky had sent a letter on 16 October 2017 to the participants of the "5+2" format with a request to establish cooperation in the transport and customs spheres, suggesting the resumption of motor traffic across the bridge.
The official opening ceremony of the bridge took place on 18 November 2017. Only cars weighing up to 3.5 tons were allowed to use it in the first months. On 31 January 2018, the experts signed a protocol increasinf this limit to 10 tons.
