10th Platon School Model United Nations | 5th – 7th March 2021 Forum: Disarmament and International Security Committee (GA1) Issue: Withdrawal of Foreign Military Forces from the Republic of Moldova Student Officer: Bill Trantalis Position: Deputy President PERSONAL INTRODUCTION Dear delegates, My name is Vasileios-Marios Trantalis, I am fifteen years old and I attend the tenth grade at Platon school. It is a huge honor of mine to be serving in this year’s Platon School Model United Nations conference, as a Co-Chair for the Disarmament and International Security Committee. My first encounter with the Model United Nations world came at the age of fourteen, and since then I have attended a handful of conferences, with this however being my first-time chairing. Looking back to my previous conferences, I can admit that, at first, the MUN was an unfamiliar world to me. However, after my first conference, I quickly started to enjoy its community. This year’s agenda of the Disarmament and International Security Committee provides delegates with the chance to debate on serious problems that are in need of awareness. Ensuring Environmentally Safe Disarmament for Weapons of Mass Destruction, The Impact of 3D printing in creating Weapons and Synthetic Biology on International Security and the Withdrawal of Foreign Military Forces from the Republic of Moldova, are the three topics you are called to debate upon and find solutions. As the expert chair on the topic of withdrawing foreign military forces from the Republic of Moldova, it is my obligation to introduce you to the topic, guide you through your research and strengthen your understanding of the topic with this study guide. The situation in the Republic of Moldova is a complex issue with conflicting aspects, therefore you should conduct an extensive research and not just rely on this study guide. If you have any questions relating to this issue, do not hesitate to contact me at my email address [email protected] . I am looking forward to meeting you all at this year’s session of PS-MUN. Kind regards, Vasileios-Marios Trantalis PS-MUN Study Guide |Page 1 of 17 10th Platon School Model United Nations | 5th – 7th March 2021 TOPIC INTRODUCTION The Republic of Moldova lies between Romania and Ukraine, is a relatively small and poor nation, politically divided over recent years into pro-Russian and pro-European parties. The issue of the withdrawal of foreign military forces from the Republic of th Moldova, dates back to the fall of the Soviet Union, on the 26 of December in 1991. As the Republic of Moldova was a part of it, its fall left Moldova vulnerable, and the situation did not take long to deteriorate. A political deadlock took place up to the start of 2019, with some of the main reasons being political corruption and nepotism, a form of favoritism which is granted to relatives in various fields, politics in this case1. However, on February 24th of 2019, four parties came out on top. The two leading parties, in favoritism of the masses, were the Socialists, followed by the Democratic Party. However, as none of them had the actual majority of votes, there had to be negotiations. These continued for months, with none of the parties actually following negotiation protocols, and Moldova remaining ungoverned, exposed in all aspects. In the recent elections, held on November 15th of 2020, pro-EU candidate, Maia Sandu, came out on top with 57.72% of the votes, in a run-off against former president Igor Dodon. She became the first female President of the country and the first winner from the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). When it comes to her statement about the Transnistrian region, the president has stated that she fully supports the orderly withdrawal of the foreign military forces from the area. In regards to the Transnistrian region, the foreign military forces are essentially Russian troops who have been illegally stationed in Transnistria, since the 80’s. The UN, EU and NATO have all made efforts to contribute to the resolution of the ongoing problem, however the Republic of Moldova itself is divided on the matter. The sovereignty of the state of Transnistria comes to question, as some falsely perceive it as an already independent sovereign nation, while the general security of the Republic of Moldova is also compromised. An issue that exacerbates the situation as a whole, is the large number of leftover Soviet weapons in the region of Transnistria. With tensions rightfully rising from the possibility of them being manipulated, and utilized in a way that will prove hazardous, against civilians. Notably the Republic of Moldova has an association agreement with the European Union, and has already started an EU-integration journey. 1 “Nepotism.” Cambridge Dictionary, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/nepotism. PS-MUN Study Guide |Page 2 of 17 10th Platon School Model United Nations | 5th – 7th March 2021 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Withdrawal The act of drawing military forces back from or out of a place, area, or position2 Cease-fire A military order to cease firing; suspension of active hostilities to allow peace negotiations3 Separatist Movement An advocate of independence or autonomy for a component of a political unit (such as a nation)4 Independent State A state/country that operates fully independently of other nations or territories and possesses territorial sovereignty Right to Self Determination The right to Self Determination is a key principle in International Law. Firstly, a state is said to have the right of self-determination in the sense of having the right to choose freely its political, economic, social, and cultural structure. Secondly, the right to self- determination is defined as the right of a group of people to represent itself in a state or otherwise freely determine the form of its association with an existing state.5 Sovereignty The power of a country to control its own government; freedom from external control; autonomy6 Territorial Sovereignty Possessing control over a territory and its borders 2 “Withdrawal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/withdrawal. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021. 3 “Cease-fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/cease-fire. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021. 4 “Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/separatist. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021. 5 4 Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Self-determination". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/self-determination. Accessed 25 January 2021. 6 “Sovereignty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021. PS-MUN Study Guide |Page 3 of 17 10th Platon School Model United Nations | 5th – 7th March 2021 Referendum The principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a governmental body or by popular initiative7 Defect To leave a country, political party, etc., especially in order to join an opposing one Nepotism The use of power or influence to get jobs or unfair advantages for members of your own family PAS (Party of Action and Solidarity) Also known as ACUM, PAS is a liberal pro-EU political party in the Republic of Moldova, which was founded by the former Minister of Education of Moldova and current president, Maia Sandu PMR (Pridnestrovian Moldevian Republic) A breakaway state between the river Dniester and the Ukrainian border that is universally recognized as part of Moldova. Transnistria has been recognized by three other non-recognized states, Abkhazia, Artsakh, and South Ossetia. Depot A place where equipment, supplies, or vehicles are stored8 De facto Existing in fact, although perhaps not intended, legal, or accepted BACKGROUND INFORMATION Historical Information Economy and Politics The sovereignty of Moldova was affirmed in June 1990, and the autonomous Republic of Moldova was proclaimed on August 27th, 1991. Its economy is heavily based on agriculture. The country is considered one of the poorest countries in Europe, despite promising prospects. According to the UN’s Development Program 2016 report, 9.6% of its population was living in absolute poverty. 7 “Referendum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/referendum. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021. 8 “Depot.” Cambridge Dictionary, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/depot. PS-MUN Study Guide |Page 4 of 17 10th Platon School Model United Nations | 5th – 7th March 2021 Along with the poverty in the area comes a political dead-end around 2019, with two different parties coming on top and no cohesive communication being achieved between them. This incident left Moldova ungoverned, with a political deadlock in place. Such deadlock in the political department complicated all efforts to reshape Moldova’s economy through investment and trade from abroad. Creation of the Operational Group of Russian Forces The issue at hand concerns the Operational Group of Russian Forces, formed in 1995 and currently stationed in Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria. It is said to have a peacekeeping role, comprising 1,500 soldiers. However, how did this group come to be? The root of the issue derives from the 14th Guards Army, a Russian military force formed in Kishinev, the capital of Moldova, on November 25th 1956, by the 10th Guards Budapest Rifle Corps of the Odessa Military District. In the early 1970s, the Army started hiring Transnistrian youth for military assistance, which would later become the ethnic majority of the army. They relocated to Tiraspol in the 80’s. Cobasna, the headquarters of the Army, is a municipality of three villages in northern Transnistria. Located 2 km from the Ukraine border, Cobasna is the location of a Russian ammunition depot.