Regional security in focus during OSCE Secretary General’s visit to Bucharest

Bucharest, 15 July 2022 — The OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, today concluded her visit to Bucharest, where she attended the second edition of the Moldova Support Platform conference and met with high-level officials.

Addressing the Moldova Support Platform conference, co-hosted by Romania, Germany and France, the Secretary General thanked the Republic of Moldova for its continued hospitality to Ukrainian refugees. Amidst the numerous difficulties the country is facing in light of the war against Ukraine, the conference was a proof of the strong international support for Moldova.

“We know that Moldova is facing a number of challenges and yet is demonstrating tremendous commitment to the principles we all hold so dear. Despite high-inflation, broken supply chains, and uncertainty of energy supplies, they persist in their reform efforts,” she said.

Secretary General Schmid underlined the OSCE’s ongoing support for the Republic of Moldova and the vital work the OSCE Mission has been doing in the country. “Our Mission to Moldova has continued to support the pragmatic and result-oriented dialogue between the Moldovan Government and Transdniestria that is vital to peace and stability. The 200 monitoring visits carried out by the Mission since 24 February in the security zone and along border areas contribute to transparency and stability,” she said.

The Secretary General furthermore emphasized that the OSCE, across its institutions, will step up its assistance to the Republic of Moldova on a wide range of issues, including preventing and investigating illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons, strengthening its ability to respond to the risks of human trafficking, and fighting corruption.

During her visit, Secretary General Schmid also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Bogdan Aurescu. Schmid expressed her gratitude for Romania's commitment to advancing regional co-operation, which plays a crucial role in addressing the current security threats and challenges in the region and alleviating their impact on the people.