Moldova, 2011

It is a great

honour and privilege to take part in the general debate

and to represent my country on this rostrum at a

significant juncture in Moldova’s modern history, the

recent celebration of the twentieth anniversary of its

independence and 20 years of its membership in the

United Nations, which we will mark in a few months.

These interrelated and complementary events

constitute an excellent opportunity to once again

express our genuine attachment to the founding

principles of the Organization, and our sincere

appreciation for the support and assistance the

international community has given my country during

this time.

On behalf of my delegation, I have the pleasure

to extend congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Nassir

Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on assuming his high and

responsible position, and to join previous speakers in

expressing our gratitude to His Excellency Mr. Joseph

Deiss for his excellent management and the

competence he displayed during his presidency of the

Assembly. I would also like to reiterate our sincere

congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon on

his reappointment to a second term as Secretary-

General, to convey our deep appreciation for his

strenuous efforts and activity on behalf of the

international community and to wish him success in

continuing his noble mission.

The beginning of a new decade of the twenty-first

century has been marked by major changes, sincere

aspirations and high hopes in many parts of our planet.

We wholeheartedly welcome the Republic of South

Sudan’s declaration of independence and its entry into

the United Nations as the 193rd Member State. We

have witnessed the genuine desire of young people for

democratic reforms and human rights, fundamental

freedoms and social justice. Peoples in the

Mediterranean region and in North Africa and the

Middle East have set out firmly along the road of

democracy, launching the Arab Spring. In that regard,

we recall the events that changed Moldova and

launched our country on a new, more democratic track

in 2009.

In this time of change and historical upheaval, we

note the transition of Libya to a new phase in its

25 11-51681

political development, as stated expressively in the

Assembly last week by the Chairman of the National

Transitional Council Executive Office of Libya (see

), whom the Republic of Moldova, like

many other delegations, supported as Libya’s

representative in the General Assembly. The role of the

United Nations in supporting Libya’s transition to

democracy in the wake of the downfall of the former

regime has been incremental. We express our

satisfaction at the Security Council’s approval of the

creation of a mission to assist the transitional

authorities and the Libyan people during the critical

post-conflict phase.

We have also learned that natural calamities hit

nations indiscriminately. In order to overcome the

consequences of ecological disasters, such as the great

east Japan earthquake, the Fukushima nuclear accident,

the great flooding in Pakistan and the severe drought

and hunger in the Horn of Africa, requires the common

efforts of both developed and developing States. The

international community has the great task of

strengthening its humanitarian and disaster response

capabilities.

Faced by different challenges, it is commendable

to have a joint platform of concerted actions, managed

by the United Nations. Poverty, conflicts, climate

change, economic and financial issues, migration,

pandemics, terrorism, international crime and other

crises affecting humankind cannot be countered

individually, but only by means of global strategies.

The United Nations is a unique tool in addressing and

overcoming them.

The United Nations should consolidate its central

role in world affairs, and, consequently, enhance its

multilateral and universal potential by making the

Organization stronger and more representative,

efficient and able to promptly react to major

challenges. A reformed Organization must

pragmatically adapt to new realities and strengthen its

influence, in strict accordance with the United Nations

Charter. The most appropriate methods of

communication, consultation and cooperation during

the reform process should be developed, in close

interaction with other actors, such as the private sector,

civil society and academics, who play a more visible

role in shaping the modern world.

The greatest incentive for economic growth and

security is a balanced and equitable global trade

system, for which the international community has

been struggling in complex negotiations since the Doha

Round in 2001. While talks on the issue continue,

discrepancies and ruptures in our economies make it

difficult to stand against the waves of the economic

and financial crises. It is hardly possible that countries,

especially developing ones, remain immune to the

globalized economic downturn. While we are required

to implement drastic austerity measures, access to

markets is vital for our economies. That is one of my

country’s priorities. Our Government is working hard

towards the extension and diversification of market

outlets in cooperation with its partners, primarily in

Europe. We rely on openness, a constructive approach

and fair play in market relations as our best allies for

win-win solutions in global trade.

The Republic of Moldova stands committed to its

human rights agenda. Last year, my country ratified the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal

Court, in a sustained effort to contribute to the

development and implementation of international

standards in the fields of human rights and the rule of

law.

As a member of the Human Rights Council,

Moldova has taken an active part in the Council’s

deliberations and activities, with the aim of building up

a strong and legitimate human rights body. This year,

Member States underwent the complex process of the

Council’s review. Although not all the concerns of

Member States were accommodated for a far-reaching

and more ambitious outcome of the review, we should

remain committed to fulfilling the balanced and

objective agenda of the Council, while its membership

is expected to comply with resolution 60/251 to uphold

the highest standards in the field of human rights and

to fully cooperate with the Council’s mechanisms.

The Republic of Moldova remains committed to

that principle. In approximately two weeks, my country

will engage in an intensive review by the United

Nations Human Rights Council under the universal

periodic review mechanism, involving not only the

Government but also civil society and other national

stakeholders. We intend to proceed in that exercise

with genuine openness, objectivity and a constructive

approach.

The commemoration of the tenth anniversary of

the terrorist attacks in New York on 11 September 2001

11-51681 26

reminded us once again of the great losses, the needed

vigilance and the imperative to multiply our efforts in

combating the terrible scourge of terrorism.

As a State party to all the universal legal

instruments on the prevention of terrorist acts, the

Republic of Moldova condemns terrorism and

extremism in all their aspects, and welcomes the

achievements of the United Nations Global Counter-

Terrorism Strategy. We advocate the earliest conclusion

of the negotiations of the comprehensive convention on

international terrorism, the convening of a United

Nations conference and the strengthening of all efforts

on combating terrorism at the national, regional and

global levels. To contribute to that end, the Republic of

Moldova is currently hosting a regional event on

preventing and countering the financing of terrorism in

South-East European States.

Let me now refer to one of the most important

security issues faced by the Republic of Moldova —

the Transnistrian conflict. From the outset, I would like

to reconfirm that the Government of the Republic of

Moldova remains fully committed to the goal of

achieving a political, comprehensive and viable

solution to the issue, which should lead to the

reintegration of my country.

During the past five years, in referring to the

Transnistrian issue, we have always made the same

appeal. Moldova calls for the unconditional resumption

of the negotiations on the political settlement of the

conflict in the “5+2” format. I am happy to announce

that, exactly five days ago, at the 5+2 consultations

round in Moscow, that decision was finally taken. We

express our gratitude to the Russian Federation, the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,

Ukraine, the European Union and the United States —

the members of the 5+2 negotiations format — for

their efforts in reaching that result. However, the

resumption of the official negotiations was never seen

as a goal in itself. We are fully aware that the most

difficult part of resolving the conflict is still ahead.

On this occasion, I would like to reiterate some

basic elements of the Moldovan approach towards the

problem. A viable and comprehensive political solution

can be based only on respect for the sovereignty and

territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, within

its internationally recognized borders. The central

question on the agenda of the five plus two

negotiations should be the special status of the

Transnistrian region within Moldova. On the one hand,

that special status should ensure full respect of the

needs, rights and freedoms of the local population. On

the other hand, it should provide for the functional

integration of the region with the rest of the country.

Over the past year, our efforts have been focused

on mobilizing internal resources and international

support to advance the conflict resolution process. In

that regard, we continue to promote confidence-

building measures between both banks of the Nistru

River. Our current list of priorities includes the

restoration of fully-fledged rail communications

throughout the Transnistrian region, in accordance with

international standards. Another important objective is

the restoration of landline phone connections to allow

people from the Transnistrian region to communicate

freely with their relatives and friends in the rest of

Moldova.

The main beneficiaries of such measures are,

obviously, the population and the business community.

The solutions are on the table. Our message for the

leadership in Tiraspol is clear — abandon the policy of

self-isolation and let us think together about practical

and transparent solutions that would make people’s

lives much easier.

Let me also refer to some unresolved issues that

need further attention. We are concerned about the

situation of Latin-script schools in the Transnistrian

region, which remain under constant pressure from

local authorities. Children should never become

hostages of political disagreements. In the same

context, we emphasize the need to improve the human

rights situation in the region, in particular to resolve

the case of Mr. Ilie Cazac, who has been abusively

imprisoned in Tiraspol, in order to secure his

immediate and unconditional release.

We need to reflect on the future of the existing

peacekeeping arrangements in Moldova. I would like

to underline the fact that Moldova has been at peace

for the past 19 years. Therefore, what we really need is

a peace consolidation, not peacekeeping, exercise. That

requires the transformation of the existing, old-

fashioned military mechanism into a multinational

civilian mission operating under a relevant

international mandate and focusing on confidence-

building activities.

We should not avoid discussions about the

presence of foreign military forces that are stationed on

27 11-51681

Moldovan soil without the consent of the host country,

in breach of the Moldovan Constitution and relevant

international commitments. We are confident that an

early completion of the withdrawal of foreign

munitions stocks and the armed forces guarding them

from the territory of the Republic of Moldova will

positively influence the process of settling the

Transnistrian problem.

As in the case of other conflicts, the Transnistrian

settlement process cannot advance to its final goal

without wide international support, particularly from

the mediators and observers. It is our strong belief that

genuine mediation based on shared objectives, joint

efforts and good faith is an essential factor in that

regard.

We fully concur with the President’s focus on the

peaceful settlement of disputes, and his assessment that

peaceful settlements, including those brokered through

mediation efforts, provide the most cost-effective and

long-lasting solutions. We will actively engage in

further debate on the role of mediation in the

settlement of disputes, with a view to developing and

consolidating the role of the General Assembly as the

world’s leading peacemaker.

Moldova’s advancement on the path to European

integration, the primary goal of which is the overall

modernization of the country, remains the absolute

priority of the domestic and external policies of the

Republic of Moldova. The Government has initiated a

series of deep reforms to ensure the rule of law, the

independence of justice and a functional market

economy where businesses and foreign investments can

find a proper place to grow. Those have proven to be

complex, lengthy and sometimes painful processes, but

they are absolutely indispensable for further

development.

Moldova’s proactive attitude and determination in

promoting and implementing reforms has ensured a

more intense and expanded political dialogue between

the European Union (EU) and Moldova. We have made

significant progress in negotiating an association

agreement with the European Union by opening a

structured dialogue on human rights and fully engaging

in efforts to meet the conditions established during the

visa liberalization dialogue. We are ready to launch

negotiations on creating a broad and comprehensive

free trade area with the European Union.

The European perspective continues to be the

EU’s most effective tool in promoting dynamic and

consistent reforms in neighbouring countries. We are

confident that the promotion of democratic values,

prosperity, stability and security in Europe will lay the

foundation for the future EU agenda. That projection of

soft power will be possible only if it is accompanied by

an extension of EU borders. In that context, we hope

that the Warsaw Eastern Partnership Summit will make

an important contribution to strengthening EU relations

with partner countries, developing its messages and

leaving the door open for those Eastern European

neighbours that are able to meet the accession criteria

in the foreseeable future.

Over the past 20 years, my country has achieved

significant positive developments in the field of

internal affairs. Still, much remains to be done in the

process of carrying out democratic and socio-economic

reforms, the main objective of which is to consolidate

the Republic of Moldova as a sovereign, independent

and reintegrated European State.

In that regard, we further count on the support of

the United Nations and its Member states in advancing

the political and economic development of my country,

resolving the Transnistrian conflict, speeding up the

withdrawal of foreign military forces and

implementing our development priorities.

In conclusion, I would like to reconfirm the

commitment of the Republic of Moldova to the ideals

and goals of the United Nations, and its readiness to

further cooperate broadly by engaging in concrete

actions to bring those ideas and aspirations to life.