USA State Department Official Hopeful for Resolution in Transnistria

The referendum, held September 17, was not recognized by any nation, and U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey, in a September 18 statement, called it “an attempt to destabilize Moldova.” 

But a solution might be near because high-level officials in the United States and other countries increasingly take notice of the situation, Kramer said at a panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

“The issue of Moldova and Transnistria has been on the radar screen of our government and other governments more than it ever has before,” Kramer said.

Kramer indicated his optimism also is fueled by a customs agreement between Ukraine and Moldova that was implemented in March. The plan “lent strength to Moldova’s sovereignty,” he said.

Five-party talks with Transnistria, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) broke down last spring when the Transnistrians pulled out. The United States and the European Union participated in the discussions as observers. (See related article.)

“It’s important for all sides, including Russia and Ukraine, to urge the Transnistrians to return to the table and avoid provocative actions” such as the independence referendum, Kramer said.

“A long-term solution obviously requires the people in Transnistria see the benefit of reuniting with Moldova,” he said.  To promote this, Moldova could implement economic reforms, increase exports, strengthen the rule of law, work to improve the respect of minorities and enhance the quality of life in the country, Kramer said.

William Hill, an associate for Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and former head of the OSCE mission to Moldova, agreed that reforms could entice the Transnistrians to reunite with Moldova.

“The point is to get beyond the pressure and recriminations…. What’s really necessary is to follow through on an effective program of reforms,” he said, “market reforms, democraticization, enrichment of the country -- things that make reintegration of the country attractive” and hard to resist.

A narrow strip of Moldovan territory between the Dniester River and Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine, Transnistria declared independence in September 1991. Soon after, fighting broke out between the government forces and Transnistrians. The conflict was halted by Russian troops, which remain in the region despite Russian pledges at the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit to withdraw them.

The full text of the statement and a related fact sheet are available on the State Department Web site.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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