Moldova and the Transnistrian region share a border

Photo: EPA

The UN General Assembly on June 22 adopted a resolution “On the complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign armed forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova”. Stream sessions were conducted on the YouTube channel of the UN General Assembly.

For the resolution voted by 64 countries, against 15, abstentions 83 delegation.

Foreign Minister of Moldova Tudor Ulyanovsk said that the stay of the Russian military contingent in Transnistria without Chisinau’s consent, contrary to international law and the UN Charter.

“After nearly 27 years after the country gained independence, and after 26 years after she became a member country of the UN, the operational group of Russian troops and their weapons still located on the territory of the Republic of Moldova without the permission of the authorities of the country,” the diplomat said.

The issue of presence of Russian troops should be solved peacefully and without preconditions, added ul. According to him, the agreement on principles of settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict, signed in 1992, did not give Russia the right to military bases in Moldova.

The representative of Russia Dmitry Polyanskiy said that the intentions of Chisinau are destructive and contrary to international agreements, in particular, the position of the OSCE on conflict resolution, he said.

Resolution of the UN General Assembly, unlike the Security Council’s decisions, are not binding.

Transnistria declared sovereignty in 1990, but the world community the region’s independence is not recognized. In the mid-90s in Transnistria was officially introduced the contingent of Russian peacekeeping forces.

According to Moldova, in Transnistria is about 1,400 Russian military, excluding members of the peacekeeping mission in the security zone of the Dniester river.

In August 2017 Moldova has asked to include the issue of the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria in the agenda of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.

Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia said the initiative “is not very friendly and quite unexpected.”