OSCE Mission welcomes permanent registration of Moldovan schools in Transdniestria
CHISINAU, 4 July 2005 - The OSCE Mission to Moldova today welcomed the permanent registration by the Transdniestrian authorities of four Moldovan schools.
The schools in Tiraspol, Ribnitsa, Bender and Corjevo are subordinated to the Ministry of Education in Chisinau and use the Latin-script and curriculum of the Republic of Moldova. Last year the schools were only temporarily registered but on 1 July they received permanent registration.
"This hopefully brings a long awaited solution to the conflict over the existence of these Moldovan institutions in the Transdniestrian region," said Kristin Franklin, the OSCE Mission's Human Dimension Officer.
"The permanent registration means that the local Transdniestrian authorities now regard the Moldovan schools as legal entities. The schools can now conclude contracts with local suppliers of water, electricity, and other communal services."
Until now the Transdniestrian authorities did not regard the existence of the Moldovan schools as legal, on several occasions threatening and attempting to close them down.
Since February, the OSCE Mission has hosted nine rounds of negotiations between Moldovan and Transdniestrian education authorities on the issue, attended by representatives from the Russian and Ukrainian embassies in their capacity as mediators.
As a result, an agreement on a set of school statutes acceptable to both sides was reached.
Further negotiations between Moldovan and Transdniestrian education authorities will continue in September to resolve questions of a common curriculum for disputed subjects, and requests to obtain licences and accreditations from the local authorities. The schools are expected to open at the start of the academic year regardless of the result on these questions.