Belyakov: OSCE hinders peacekeeping operations in Transnistria

A regular meeting of the Joint Control Commission (JCC - the governing body of the peacekeeping operation) scheduled for November 30 failed to happen. The Moldovan side's position that in the absence of an organizational issue it is impossible to consider other topics did not allow the meeting to start. In this regard, the issue regarding the report of the Joint Military Command on the situation in the Security Zone remained open.

Further discussion continued in the format of an extraordinary meeting. Participants discussed conditions of service on the bridge between the villages of Bacioc and Gura Bîcului (a peacekeepers’ facility), as well as functioning of the posts of law enforcement bodies on a motorway open for traffic.

"We tried to shape our work into the framework of an extraordinary meeting of the JCC to again consider all aspects related to the functioning of the bridge between the villages of Bacioc and Gura Bîcului and determine the functions of our military to further control the situation on the bridge," said Oleg Belyakov, co-chairman of the JCC from Transnistria. He clarified that despite the contradictions, they managed "to find common ground to solve this issue."

At the same time, the representative of Tiraspol expressed bewilderment at the information spread by the OSCE mission on monitoring the posts of law enforcement agencies. According to Belyakov, these actions were not coordinated and therefore go beyond the principles of cooperation of the organization with the Joint Control Commission and the OSCE is not authorized to engage in this activity.

"Instead of consolidating the work in this direction to resolve issues precisely within the framework of the peacekeeping operation, today we have a precedent, and the Moldovan side insists that their (OSCE missions’) information be included as post monitoring in the Security Zone. Well, I'm sorry, but this goes beyond the principles of cooperation," Oleg Belyakov said.

"We want to find out why this is done, whether the format of the work of the peacekeeping forces is changing, or is there a new monitoring mechanism? This causes some bewilderment, and here, of course, we have to analyze it," concluded the co-chairman from Transnistria.