Moldova, 2013

I would

first like to congratulate Mr. John Ashe of Antigua

and Barbuda on his election to the presidency of the

General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session and to

wish him every success in his post. I am confident that

his diligence and perspicacity will contribute to our

efforts to address the challenges of today’s world. I

would also like to express my appreciation for the work

of Mr. Vuk Jeremi. in presiding over the Assembly at

its sixty-seventh session and my best wishes for his

further success in his career. And I pay tribute to the

Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his tireless

work promoting peace and security, human rights and

prosperity in a sustainable global environment, as

well as for his efforts to make this Organization more

transparent and efficient.

Before the key points of my statement, I would like

to offer my condolences to the victims of the senseless

attack in Kenya.

The United Nations is in the midst of establishing

a new post-2015 development agenda that will continue

and advance the ambitious commitments laid down

in the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2). We

welcome the inauguration earlier this week of the High-

level Political Forum on Sustainable Development as a

key step towards the implementation of the outcome

document of the 2012 United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development (resolution 66/288, annex).

We expect that the high-level dialogue will reinforce

and launch the implementation of the three pillars

of sustainable development — economic prosperity,

social equity and environmental protection — with

the firm commitment of Member States to deliver

on those priority areas. We recall the huge effort it

took for this Organization to agree last year in Rio

on the wide-ranging framework for a world working

cooperatively towards a sustainable future, and we are

hopeful that this effort will yield results sooner rather

than later.

For the Republic of Moldova, sustainable

development is the only way to ensure a decent life

for our people. It follows that we must foster economic

development and solve our energy security problems

while ensuring an ecologically healthy environment.

My Government has been working hard to achieve

those ends, together with its relevant international

partners, particularly the European Union (EU),

which gives us a reference point for our national

policies. We are convinced that political will, mutual

assistance and transparency in every significant issue

can bring just as much positive change to emerging and

developing economies as to poor ones. We reaffirm that

issues such as poverty eradication, human rights and

tolerance, access to quality education without gender

discrimination, decent jobs for all and the preservation

of nature and biodiversity should have special priority

on the United Nations development agenda in the years

to come.

Cooperation between sectors is also a key issue,

which is why international partners and the donor

community, including the private sector and civil

society, should work hand in hand with the United

Nations and Governments in order to mobilize the

necessary resources and use them to target specific

results-oriented projects as well as investments in

essential areas.

I would also like to touch on the problems of

migration and population movement. The United

Nations has acknowledged more than once that

migration can benefit the development of countries of

origin as much as that of countries of destination, if

international cooperation is strengthened and suitable

policies are put in place. That is certainly the case

with the Republic of Moldova, where migration has

contributed to our macroeconomic stability in recent

years.

At the same time, we are living through a period

of considerable change that is likely to influence the

demographic, economic, social and security aspects

of our population. There is no doubt that investing

in human capital is fundamentally a way out of

demographic volatility and an indispensable condition

for our country’s prosperity, while ensuring respect

for human rights. That is how we aim to reduce the

interdependence between development and migration

flows and to create an environment conducive to

community development, including small and medium-

size businesses, with financial aid awarded directly

from the State budget.

However, I would also like to draw the attention

of the Assembly to the positive examples derived from

the mobility partnership between the Republic of

Moldova and the European Union. That initiative has

strengthened the Government’s capacity to formulate

and implement migration policies, find shared priorities

with the EU and develop innovative and strategic

legislative initiatives, based on best practices. We must

definitely continue in that spirit, which is the only way

to arrive at mutually acceptable solutions for regular

and circulating migration that can benefit our citizens,

while ensuring that human rights are protected and

social security guaranteed.

I would like to mention here one of the most

significant achievements of the Assembly, the adoption

of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which was made

possible after several years of intense debate and

negotiation on the regulation of the world’s arms trade.

The Republic of Moldova has signed the ATT, and

we hope that the rapid entry into force of the Treaty

will make the global arms trade more transparent and

legitimate. The ATT could be a great step forward

in controlling the proliferation and illicit circulation

of weapons, especially in vulnerable areas and in

areas that do not respect the constitutional system of

sovereign States.

In addition, the Government is working closely with

its European and international partners, in particular

with Germany’s Federal Office of Economics and

Export Control and the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe, to review and amend national

legislation on the export control of dual-use goods in

order to adopt the best international standards and rely

on the best international experience in that field.

As a member of the Human Rights Council, my

country has completed the first cycle of the universal

periodic review, which is, in our opinion, one of the

best exercises for monitoring and evaluating the

results of national human rights institutions and

mechanisms. At the same time, we agreed to undertake

new commitments to meet the challenges involved in

implementing the recommendations of the universal

periodic review.

The Republic of Moldova continues to advocate for

a review of the human rights situation by all countries

and States and believes that a robust, apolitical and

impartial Human Rights Council should exercise

greater authority, especially in cases of serious human

rights violations, and should provide guidance on the

implementation of the best practices and standards in

this area.

My Government is pleased to announce the fourth

seminar of Francophone countries, to be held at the

beginning of 2014, in Chisinau, our capital, to discuss

the results of and lessons learned from the first cycle of

the universal periodic review. We hope that the findings

of that seminar will contribute to the advancement,

strengthening and improvement of the universal

periodic review as a unique mechanism for the review

of human rights practices in all States members of the

International Organization of la Francophonie.

(spoke in English)

The Republic of Moldova is pursuing an intensive

and comprehensive reform programme in the political,

economic, institutional, legislative, demographic and

judicial areas and others. We are firmly committed

to building a State based on the rule of law, good

governance, transparency and accountability. Through

those difficult efforts, we are becoming a stronger

nation and a better international partner, and we must

keep pushing ahead.

In that connection, we are proud to announce that

the Government has embarked on a new course of

technological modernization to enable direct public

access to Government services. Our aim is to make all

such Government services electronically available to

all citizens by 2020 at any time, from anywhere, using

modern communication technologies and devices such

as computers, mobile phones and interactive payment

offices. Such a system will combat corruption, reduce

unnecessary bureaucracy and ensure true transparency

in the relationship between citizens and public officials.

The Republic of Moldova is among the leaders in

that field, and our efforts have already yielded real

benefits for our citizens with the implementation of our

electronic catalogue for public services, mobile digital

signatures, the Government’s electronic payment portal

and many more services.

The ambitious reform agenda of the Government and

its foreign policy are both directed towards the fulfilment

of our country’s strategic objective — European

integration. At this stage, we have concluded the

negotiations on the Association Agreement with the EU

and its component part, the Deep and Comprehensive

Free Trade Area Agreement, and the initialling of the

texts is going to take place at the upcoming Eastern

Partnership summit to be held in Vilnius in November.

All of those actions — the political association with the

EU, the economic rapprochement and the perspective

of visa-free travel for our citizens — are bringing us

closer to our final goal, namely EU integration, and

they open new perspectives for political and economic

cooperation in the region.

Every year, my delegation brings to the attention

of the Assembly the issue of the protracted conflict

in the Transnistrian region, which has affected my

country ever since independence. As a nation that

values national consolidation and unity, that conflict is

a constant challenge that undermines our development

efforts. The political settlement of the conflict and the

reintegration of the country are our strategic priority.

We envisage uniting the population from both banks of

the Dniester River around shared goals and providing

them with a better future. It also means removing one

of the most fundamental challenges to our national

security, economic development and social cohesion.

Ultimately, resolving the Transnistrian conflict means

guaranteeing secured national borders and opening a

new perspective towards stability and fruitful, bilateral

and equitable relations with our neighbours and

international partners.

Peace and dialogue are fundamental prerequisites

for a political solution to any conflict. Let me emphasize

that there have now been more than two decades of

peace in the region, and we will spare no effort to

preserve that peace. Moldova is fully committed to

dialogue through all available channels. But in order to

achieve the desired outcome, we desperately need trust

within the resolution process and genuine engagement

and commitment from the outside. We advocate for the

continuation of the confidence-building activities that

have been taking place since 2007 with the support of

the United Nations Development Programme and the

European Union, aimed at bridging the gaps between

all stakeholders from both banks and involving local

authorities, business communities and civil society.

The vision of the Government of the Republic

of Moldova for a final solution to the conflict is

unambiguous and inclusive. First, a comprehensive

and viable solution must be based on respect for the

sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. We

are open to a reasonable compromise on a special status

for the region within the Republic of Moldova, which

would provide the population from the left bank with

a comfortable and guaranteed level of self-governance

in various areas of public life. There should be a single

constitutional, economic and defence space within

the internationally recognized borders of Moldova.

At the same time, the Republic of Moldova should

remain a functional State that continues to advance on

its European path and makes every effort to allow the

population and the business communities from both

banks to benefit equally from our extensive partnership

with the European Union and, hopefully, within the

European Union.

On the conflict resolution matter, we will continue

with renewed impetus to seek solutions in order to ensure

the freedom of movement, improved transportation

links and new and real opportunities for businesses on

both banks of the Dniester. We will also redouble our

efforts to convince our partners to start talks on political

and security issues, including the future status of the

region within the recognized borders of the Republic

of Moldova. Moreover, we will seek to intensify law-

enforcement interaction and preserve stability in the

security zone, and we reaffirm our stance on the need

to transform the current peacekeeping mechanism into

an international civilian mission.

Strengthening respect for human rights is of utmost

importance to us. The report of the United Nations senior

expert on human rights in the Transnistrian region of

the Republic of Moldova, Mr. Thomas Hammarberg,

offers a good road map for joint activities in that regard.

In addition, I would like to reiterate our long-standing

and unwavering call to finalize the withdrawal of the

Russian military forces and ammunition from the

territory of the Republic of Moldova in accordance with

the relevant international commitments.

In conclusion, I would like to express my

Government’s conviction that the future of the region

will be brighter if we unite our efforts in building a

stronger and unified country, open to Europe where

it naturally belongs, and to diversity, tolerance and

economic and market opportunities. We are optimistic

that we can achieve that because there is no better

vision that we could embrace for the well-being of our

people and the consolidation of our nation.

The Republic of Moldova places peace and real,

constructive dialogue above any political goal or

ambition. We follow with great concern the continuing

violence in the Middle East and abhor the loss of so

many lives and futures, which will perhaps irremediably

maim the consciousness of a whole generation, not

only in the conflict zones but worldwide. The refugee

crisis in Syria magnifies the perils of war, Hundreds

of thousands of people have been displaced as they

try to salvage their lives and find peace. My own

country has offered protection to a number of Syrian

refugees, and we recognize the significant burden that

Syria’s neighbours and other receiving countries, many

in Europe, face as they seek to alleviate the Syrian

refugees’ suffering, offer them a better chance for

survival and affirm their basic human rights. It is time

for all sides to take a step back, find a peaceful solution

and build a future for their people rather than pursue

fleeting, treacherous and, so often, deadly political

goals.

In conclusion, I would like to express the hope that

during the current session the members of the Assembly

will succeed in reaching important decisions on topical

issues, such as sustainable development, peace and

security, human rights and many others. My delegation

is willing and open to making its contribution in a

collaborative and constructive way.