Hope for a peaceful solution to the separatist conflict in Moldova’s Transdniestrian region lies in its demilitarization and democratization, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, Alexandru Cujba, told the General Assembly on Sept. 29.

Transdniestria has been a breakaway region on Moldova’s eastern flank – bordered by the Dniester River on the west and Ukraine on the west – following fighting between Moldovan and separatist forces in the early 1990s, when the country gained its independence.

“Implementation of democratic reforms, normalization of the economic and social climate to the right side of the Dniester will allow to accelerate the resolution of the Transdniestrian problem,” Alexandru Cujba said, calling for an increased role for the United States and the European Union (EU) in resolving the dispute.

Simultaneously, he said, Moldova will “revive its efforts towards withdrawing foreign troops from the country, towards replacing the present peacekeeping operation with a multinational mission with a mandate, towards achieving integration of the country in all socio-economic segments by encouraging wide participation of the non-governmental sector.”

In 2007, Mr. Cujba said his country put forward initiatives, in a bid to boost trust, to ensure free movement and modernize infrastructure, among other moves.

“Unfortunately, the so-called Transdniestrian authorities boycotted time and again these initiatives through introducing illegal customs taxes,” as well as violating Moldovan citizens’ right to study their native language, he noted, adding that Moldova will press ahead with negotiations to resolve the problem.

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Text of the address to the UN GA of Alexandru Cujba, Moldova’s ambassador to the United Nations

Mr. President,
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am deeply honored to address the General Assembly on behalf of the Republic of Moldova. At the outset, I would like to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, on his election as President of the 64th session of the General Assembly, to wish him success and to assure his Bureau of a full support of our delegation.

I would also like to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, for his high competence and professionalism, and his tireless efforts in leading the United Nations in these complex times.

Mr. President,

Distinguished speakers that took the floor during this debate have elaborated extensively on the most pressing issues that the international community has faced over the last year. Current global financial and economic crisis, food and energy crises, the first flue pandemic of this century and climate change were at the core of deliberations in the United Nations, revealing the central role of the UN in dealing with these problems.

A reformed, robust and effective Organization has to deliver prompt reactions and sustainable responses to the major challenges to peace, security and development, disarmament and non-proliferation, climate change, food and energy security, spread of international terrorism. We commend the efforts of the Secretary-General in strengthening the United Nations and promoting the core values enshrined in our founding Charter – fundamental principles of peace, justice and human rights.

The Republic of Moldova supports the on-going process of reform of the United Nations, aimed at creating a revitalized, representative, efficient and more responsive organization. Following significant advances in the reform of its principal organs, we recognize the steps undertaken towards the reform of the Security Council which undoubtedly necessitates a strong political pledge of the entire membership. In our opinion, the expansion of the Security Council is not only a matter of equity, but also of efficiency.

Any proposal of reform of the Council has to reflect the legitimate aspirations of the regional groups. Thus, by supporting the expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, we believe it indispensable to allocate an additional non-permanent seat for the Eastern-European Group.

By virtue of the primary responsibility of the Security Council foreseen in the UN Charter, its reform should also contain provisions of consolidation of UN operational capacities in the field, revitalizing the peace-keeping operations in order to make them more efficient and capable of achieving their goals, including the development of cooperation with regional organizations and member states for the resolution of conflicts in various areas of the globe.

Building a safer world requires a greater commitment of Member States in the area of disarmament, arms control and nonproliferation. We have recently witnessed a historic Summit of the UN Security Council that vowed to stop the spread of nuclear arms and endorsed a broad framework of actions to reduce global nuclear dangers. The Republic of Moldova welcomes the results of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Article XIV Conference and looks forward to continuous positive trends in the work of the Conference on Disarmament and the Preparatory Committee of the Conference on the review of the implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Current global economic and financial crisis, one of the most serious crises of the world since the creation of the United Nations, affected virtually all countries, including the Republic of Moldova. The previous communist government from Chişinău has denied during the year of 2008 the existence of economic and financial crisis and only after their defeat in the elections of 29 July 2009 its representatives began to raise the alarm. The current administration, the Alliance for European Integration, is assuming the entire responsibility for managing the economic and financial crisis by attracting funds from international financial organizations, securing foreign investments, providing jobs, reviving the real sector of the economy, ensuring the de-monopolization of production segments, liberalizing exports and imports. The liberal-democratic Government relies on the support of the EU institutions, of all international structures in promoting the rule of law, in safeguarding fundamental human rights and freedoms, in ensuring functionality of democratic institutions, the freedom of mass-media.

The Republic of Moldova thoroughly followed the work of the High-Level Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development held this summer at the UN and welcomed the adoption of the Conference’s final document. The Conference highlighted once again the role of the United Nations and gave a strong impetus to the dialogue on identifying solutions for overcoming the crisis and reforming the international financial architecture.

At the same time, we stand for strengthening of the Economic and Social Council’s coordinating role in formulating global economic and social policies and in further promoting an active dialogue with the international financial institutions and the Member States Governments in implementing the Millennium Development Goals.

Nine years ago, in September 2000, the world leaders committed our countries to a global partnership in fighting poverty and achieving Millennium Development Goals. Today, in the context of global economic and financial crisis, considerable common efforts of both developed and developing countries are needed to achieve our commitments by 2015. We welcome the decision to convene in 2010 a High Level Meeting dedicated to evaluation of the Millennium Summit decisions.

Mr. President,

The General Assembly proclaimed 2009 as the International Year of Reconciliation, Human Rights Learning and 21st September as International Day of Peace. It is in this vein that we would like today to reiterate the necessity of an increased UN role, as well as of strengthening cooperation with regional organizations such as OSCE in preventing and managing crisis and conflict situations, guaranteeing respect and promotion of fundamental human rights in the separatist regions, in undertaking more efficient international actions towards stabilizing situations in the countries affected by internal conflicts, in taking a complex approach within the international law to mediation and conflict resolution.

Intensification of international cooperation with a view to solving conflicts and excluding future emergence or escalation of such crisis situations that threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is of paramount importance for the Republic of Moldova that faces the secessionist phenomenon in the eastern regions of the country.

Respecting the principle of peaceful resolution of conflicts, we are confident that demilitarization and democratization of the Transnistrian region represent indispensable premises for a viable solution of the Transnistrian problem. The new Liberal Democratic governance coalition will undertake sustainable efforts in view of identifying a final solution to the Transnistrian problem in the current 5+2 format and will consistently stand for an increased US and EU role in the resolution process. Concurrently, the Republic of Moldova will revive its efforts towards withdrawing foreign troops from the country, towards replacing the present peacekeeping operation with a multinational mission with an international mandate, towards achieving integration of the country in all socio-economic segments by encouraging wide participation of the non-governmental sector.

We will consistently act in accordance with the Law on the Basic Provisions of the Special Legal Statute of the Localities from the Left Bank of the Dniester River, adopted unanimously by the Parliament on 22 July 2005.

Preoccupied by the creation of conditions needed for reconciliation and advancement of the resolution process, a series of initiatives was put forward in 2007 in view of strengthening trust and security between both banks of the Dniester River, in particular by ensuring free movement, common participation in developing and implementing projects for restoring and modernizing infrastructure, by addressing various social issues. Unfortunately, the so-called Transnistrian authorities boycotted time and again these initiatives through introducing illegal customs taxes, by impeding the elections process in the villages situated on the left bank of the Dniester River, gravely violating the right of the Moldovan citizens to study in their native language by confiscating school premises in Grigoriopol, Rabnita, Tighina. Implementation of democratic reforms, normalization of the economic and social climate to the right side of the Dniester will allow to accelerate the resolution of the Transnistrian problem.

The Republic of Moldova appreciates the activity of the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border and its close cooperation with the relevant bodies of both states in charge of border management, as well as its contribution to border security and transparency which creates a constructive atmosphere for the resolution of Transnistrian problem.

The Republic of Moldova will further direct its efforts to resume negotiations in the existing format in view of resolving the Transnistrian problem. We count on the consistent support and the political will assumed by all mediators and observers in the conflict resolution.

Mr. President,

The on-going terrorist acts in different parts of the world demonstrate that terrorism continuously threatens the security, fundamental democratic values, human rights and the letter of law that stay at the basis of the UN Charter. This scourge can only be defeated by firm common actions of the international community.

In this context, we would like to reaffirm that the Republic of Moldova fully supports and participates in global fight against terrorism by implementing measures at the national level and by contributing to the international community’s efforts. The new government of Moldova will take concrete actions in combating international terrorism in accordance with international instruments, pertinent resolutions of the Security Council and relevant national documents, such as the National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering and Financing Terrorism.

In compliance with the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Republic of Moldova will further contribute to the future UN activities on consolidating the international legislation in the field of combating international terrorism, especially in view of finalizing the negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and organizing under the UN auspices a High Level Conference on terrorism. We believe that special attention needs to be given to the aspects related to fighting terrorism, including that nourished by separatist tendencies which affect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Climate change poses a great challenge to the international community. Global warming and its related effects, including natural disasters, became major threats to our peoples and to international security. Its consequences affect at a greater extent vulnerable states, compromising economic growth and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

International cooperation is essential in dealing with the obvious threat of climate change; we have to raise the awareness of an urgent need to strengthen regional and global cooperation, and to enhance the assistance of donor states to the developing countries and with economies in transition.

In recent years, the Republic of Moldova has been confronted with considerable natural calamities – from acute droughts to severe floods. Each year these phenomena advance in their intensity and frequency. The harm caused to the population, to agricultural and food sectors, as well as to the overall national economy is huge.

In this respect, the role of the United Nations conventions on climate change and desertification and of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is progressively increasing in the countries severely affected by droughts and desertification.

The Republic of Moldova recognizes the importance of the environment protection for ensuring the sustainable development of the country, as well as the need to adapt this issue to all national policies.

In this connection, we welcome the outcome of the Summit on Climate Change and strongly support the continuation of negotiations that, we hope, will conclude at the forthcoming Copenhagen Conference with a new far-reaching document. We praise the Secretary-General’s efforts in mobilizing political will needed for the adoption of a new equitable and ambitious agreement.

The Republic of Moldova strongly supports the activity of the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis set up and led by the Secretary General. The efficient collaboration between FAO and Bretton Woods Institutions, as well as with other relevant UN structures with the view to mobilizing new funds in order to overcome the global food crises, will significantly contribute to the achievement of the Comprehensive Action Plan on food security. We support the organization of the World Summit on Food Security to be held in Rome in November this year.

Mr. President,

The Republic of Moldova is firm in its path towards European integration and is continuously committed to universal values of peace, democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law and economic freedom. The European integration constitutes the major strategic goal of Moldova’s foreign and internal policies. We welcome positive developments in the EU-Moldova relations and their progress over the last period, particularly after the victory of the Alliance for European Integration in the parliamentary elections held on 29 July 2009. The new Government will firmly pursue the goal of rehabilitation of the image of the Republic of Moldova on the international arena and will negotiate in the near future a new association agreement with the European Union. The leaders of the Alliance for European Integration are firmly committed to an efficient reform of the socio-economic system in the Republic of Moldova, without which the advancement of the country towards progress and prosperity is hardly possible. These commitments represent eloquent proof of the positive evolution of the political situation in the Republic of Moldova after the recent parliamentary elections. The democratic process has been resumed. The new Parliament undertook the responsibility to comply with all the recommendations formulated by the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe with regard to the events of 7 April, which is called to improve the electoral legislation and to initiate the process of direct application of the EU legislation.

From this perspective, we count on the support and the opportunities offered by the United Nations and Member States to promote political and socio-economic objectives of Moldova, its aspirations of European integration, the resolution of the Transnistrian problem and the withdrawal of the foreign military troops.

In conclusion, I would like to reconfirm the adherence of the Republic of Moldova to the ideals of the United Nations and the will to further cooperate through concrete actions with a view to accomplishing the assumed commitments. While respecting the diversity of views, cultures and religions of everyone, we, at the same time, must be united for a common goal – to protect Humanity, Human Dignity as a foremost universal value.

I thank you for your attention.

END