The Joint Control Commission has identified a solution that could contribute to unblock the work of the Joint Military Command

On 24 September, members of the Joint Control Commission continued discussions regarding issues in the Security Zone. The hostile position of the Transnistrian representatives did not allow inclusion in the agenda of the situation analysis in the Security Zone, following the installation of illegal checkpoints that consist of the so-called "border guards" of Tiraspol.

However, the parties have taken a compromise decision on the functioning of the Joint Military Command starting 12 March until now. We would like to remind that the activity of this structure of the peacekeeping mission, subordinated to the Joint Control Commission, was blocked by the Tiraspol exponents, who refused the proposal for the military observers to regularly document the checkpoints and fences installed illegally under the pretext of combating the pandemic. The Commission expressed concern about Command's failure to meet the outlined tasks, stressing that this had led to non-signing and non-approval of the military weekly reports. Given this situation, the Command will report on all cases and aspects of not executing Commission’s decisions starting 12 March and will present the measures taken.

During the meeting, the Delegation of the Republic of Moldova drew attention to continued presence of the illegal checkpoints that impede free movement of residents, and to cases of citizen’s illegal detention by Transnistrian structures, that have recently taken place in the Security Zone.  

The Delegation of the Republic of Moldova also stated that the abusive actions of maintaining the illegal checkpoints reveal the aspiration of Tiraspol's force structures to consciously strain the situation in the Security Zone and to openly ignore the existing pacification mechanisms. Moreover, they are supported by the Transnistrian Delegation to the JCC, whose representatives actively participated at the "inauguration" of the new subdivisions of the so-called "border guards", as happened in Teiu locality from Grigoriopol district. 

These issues were noted in the statements of the Delegation of the Republic of Moldova towards the members of the JCC, the representatives of Ukraine and the OSCE Mission to Moldova (statement of 9 September 2020-Ru, statement of 23 September 2020-Ru).

The OSCE Mission to Moldova monitored the situation in the Security Zone during August and September in accordance with the "Principles of Cooperation between the OSCE Mission and the Joint Control Commission", signed on 10 December, 2004, and recorded presence of 12 additional checkpoints that are managed by the Transnistrian side.

Mr. Ognjen Jovic took part in the meeting as the representative of the OSCE Mission to the JCC.