OSCE Mission to Moldova organizes seminar on confidence- and security-building measures

CHISINAU, 22 October 2007 - A high-level seminar on confidence- and security-building measures (CSBMs), organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova, began today in the Ukrainian city of Odessa.

The event brings together the chief negotiators and high-ranking military experts from the Republic of Moldova and the Transdniestrian region as well from the OSCE, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union.

"I am certain that this seminar will help illustrate the importance of confidence- and security-building measures to all sides, and how they can be used to diffuse tensions and build trust," said Ambassador Louis O'Neill, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, in a speech at the start of the seminar. "These two days are an opportunity for all of us to learn lessons from other regions on how to improve the situation that we face in our area."

Experts from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Norway and the United Kingdom will share their experiences and lessons learned from conflict regions including the Western Balkans, the South Caucasus, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Sri Lanka.

The seminar builds upon a set of confidence and security building measures worked out by the OSCE Mission together with experts from Russia and Ukraine and delivered to the Moldovan government and the Transdniestrian leadership in July 2005.

The package includes draft agreements on possible reductions in military forces and armaments as well as proposals for increased contact, monitoring of weapons-manufacturing facilities, joint training on peace-support operations, joint inspections training, joint disaster relief operations, and common procedures for eliminating surplus ammunition and small arms.

"We hope that this seminar will lead to constructive talks on the CSBM package, as well as further contacts between the Moldovan and Transdniestrian sides," said O'Neill.