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Moldova-Transdniestra Mission Notes Peacekeeping_4.qxd 1/14/07 2:29 PM Page 130 4.13 Moldova-Transdniestra The year 2006 opened with several positive Operations of the joint peacekeeping developments in Transdniestra, and little overt force have been overseen by the Joint Control conflict. However, a customs dispute between Commission (JCC), composed of Russian, Transdniestra and the neighboring Ukraine, Moldovan, Transdniestrian, Ukrainian, and combined with Western criticism of both OSCE representatives. Since September 2005, Russian peacekeepers and the policies of the the JCC has also included US and EU repre- separatist region, created significant tensions sentatives as observers. In addition to monitor- as the year progressed. While Russian leaders ing the activities of the peacekeeping force, have linked Transdniestra’s situation to prece- the JCC is responsible for overseeing the dents being set in other separatist conflicts in return of internally displaced persons and the wider region, including Kosovo, the in- refugees, and for brokering confidence-build- volvement of the Commonwealth of Indepen- ing measures. January 2006 brought the first dent States (CIS), Organization for Security meeting of the new “5+2” JCC arrangement, and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and Euro- with US and EU participation. Moldovan offi- pean Union (EU) in managing this frozen cials were positive about the new arrangement, conflict indicates its complexity. but JCC-sponsored negotiations broke down in Geographically isolated from Moldova by March, ostensibly as a result of a new Ukrain- the Dnestr River, and historically and linguis- ian customs regime requiring that goods pass- tically tied to Ukraine and Russia, Transdnies- ing into Transdniestria be cleared by Moldo- tria declared its independence from Moldova van officials. Ukraine implemented the new in September 1990. Transdniestrian independ- rules as a response to alleged black-market ence was annulled by Gorbachev later in the trade in Transdniestra and to comply with year. But the collapse of the Soviet Union was European standards. Since December 2005, a followed by full-scale conflict between Dnies- 120-strong EU Border Assitance Mission to trian militias (acting with some support from Moldova and Ukraine has assisted in the im- the Russian Army) and the Moldovan govern- plementation of these standards.1 As the new ment. Fighting raged throughout early 1992. customs regulations dramatically cut the num- By July, Moldovan President Mircea Snegur ber of goods entering Transdniestria from and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed an Ukraine, the Dneistrian leadership claimed agreement that mandated a complete cease- that Ukraine was mounting an economic fire, Russian recognition of Moldova’s territo- blockade against the region. rial integrity and a provision for Dniestrian When the Ukrainian customs regime came independence should Moldova join Romania. into effect, Transdniestria suspended its partic- The agreement also established a 225-km-long ipation in negotiations and publicly requested security zone along the Dnepr River, which that Russia send more troops to the region. At was to be patrolled by a joint CIS peacekeep- present, Russia has approximately 400 peace- ing force made up of Russian, Transdniestrian, keepers in the mission. While Russia did not and Moldovan units. contribute additional troops, Moscow did send 130 Peacekeeping_4.qxd 1/14/07 2:29 PM Page 131 MOLDOVA-TRANSDNIESTRA • 131 200 tons of humanitarian assistance to Trans- dniestria in late March 2006. Joint Control Commission (JCC) Peacekeeping Force Western political pressure on the Russian peacekeeping force increased significantly • Authorization date 21 July 1992 during 2006. In January, the new chairman-in- • Start date July 1992 office of the OSCE, Belgian foreign minister • Head of mission Major-General Boris Sergeyev (Russia) Karel De Gucht, stated that his priority would • Strength as of Troops: 1,199 be the resolution of the so-called frozen con- 30 September 2006 flicts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova. In a break with the neutral stance of the OSCE, De Gucht called for the replace- ment of Russian peacekeepers with interna- At the close of 2006, the Russian govern- tional forces. Simultaneously, the United States ment had not officially granted recognition to and NATO used the occasion of a June OSCE Transdniestria as independent from Moldova, conference on the Conventional Forces in despite a statement from the Russian parlia- Europe (CFE) treaty to voice their displeasure ment’s lower house supporting September’s with the continued presence of Russian troops referendum. A joint Russian-Moldovan com- in Transdniestria. muniqué of mid-November referred to the While Russia has maintained its presence need for a “special, well-guaranteed status” for in the region, in March it instituted a severe Transdniestra that respected Moldova’s territo- ban on Moldovan goods, including wine, rial integrity. The year ended with an easing of which had been Moldova’s primary export to tensions, as Russia ended its trade ban with Russia.2 Additionally, both President Vladimir Moldova. But in December, the Transdnies- Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pub- trian leader was re-elected for a five-year-term, licly supported a Transdniestrian referendum repeating his commitment to independence. on independence, which was held on Septem- ber 18 and received 97 percent support within the breakaway republic. Note 1. This mission, involving 69 EU and around 50 local staff, was originally requested by the Ukrain- ian and Moldovan governments in a letter of July 2005. It has a two-year mandate that may be extended, and is primarily involved in training Ukrainian and Moldovan officials. 2. The ban was not linked to Transdniestra, but to health and quality issues..
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