Thank you Madame Chairperson,
I join others in welcoming Ambassador Neukirch to the Permanent Council and thank him for his report on the developments in Moldova and on the work of the OSCE Mission.
Madame Chairperson,
Norway remains a staunch supporter of a peaceful, comprehensive, and lasting settlement to the Transnistrian conflict.
A settlement on the basis of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, within its internationally recognized borders, and with a special status for Transnistria.
In this regard, we welcome the growing number of exchanges between the two parties this year, at the level of chief negotiators and working groups.
We also welcome the personal efforts of the Chairperson-in-Office in 2021 to advance the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, especially during her visit to the Republic of Moldova on October 6.
Like our Ministers at the Ministerial Council in Stockholm, Norway welcomes the commitment of all concerned to hold a result-oriented meeting in the 5+2 format as soon as possible.
Thank you, ambassador Neukirch, for sharing with us the Mission’s concrete efforts to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
We appreciate the work you do in the Joint Expert Working Groups to understand how interventions affect men and women in different ways, and to facilitate solutions that take the needs and interests of women into account.
We also welcome the new project for enhancing the work of the Joint Expert Working Groups by strengthening the capacity of female members, and the establishment of an Informal Women Advisory Board together with UN Women, which will offer inputs, advice and recommendations to the Settlement Process.
Madame Chairperson,
Norway considers the work of the field missions as one of the greatest assets of the OSCE. Assisting participating states in upholding our commonly agreed commitments through capacity building and sharing of best practices is worthwhile and we commend Ambassador Neukirch and his able team for their work in this regard.
We trust that the Mission to Moldova will assist in the implementation of all agreements expressed in the protocols of the “5+2” meetings and thus contribute to building a solid basis for further advancing the settlement process.
Thank you.