OSCE does not endorse Russian plan on Moldova

THE HAGUE/CHISINAU, 24 November 2003 - There is no consensus among OSCE participating States to support a new proposal by the Russian Federation for resolving the Moldovan/Transdniestrian problem, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, told Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin.

He was referring to a Memorandum on the Basic Principles of the State Structure of a United State proposed by the Russian Federation last week.

"If indeed the parties come to an agreement on this Memorandum, we shall have to take a neutral stance," the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said in a telephone conversation with President Voronin on Monday. "This means we will leave it to the Moldovan people to decide on the agreement."

The Chairman-in-Office informed President Voronin that several participating States had expressed serious reservations regarding some provisions of the Memorandum, such as the lack of clarity on the proposed division of powers between the central and regional authorities, the de-facto veto power of Transdniestria in the Senate until at least 2015, and the absence of a satisfactory multinational guarantee system.

"Our consultations with participating States show there is no consensus to support this document," the CiO told President Voronin.

At the same time, the Chairman-in-Office assured the Moldovan President that if the parties reach an agreement, the OSCE is ready to continue to work with both sides in the process of elaborating a new constitution.

The OSCE is also prepared to assist in organizing and conducting a nationwide democratic referendum so that the Moldovan people may express their will on the future of their divided country. As always, OSCE principles and commitments will guide these efforts.