EU Interpretative Statement under paragraph  IV.1(A)6 of the OSCE Rules of Procedure

As delivered at the 1503rd Meeting of the Permanent Council, Vienna, 19 December 2024

In connection with the PC decision on the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, the European Union would like to make the following interpretative statement under the relevant provisions of the Rules of Procedure:

The EU deeply deplores once again the isolated and unsubstantiated position of the Russian Federation to arbitrarily limit the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Mission to Moldova to six months instead of one year, which is the rule we collectively subscribed to and reconfirmed in 2006 at the ministerial level. Indeed, the Brussels OSCE Ministerial Council (MC) decision 18/06 reaffirmed unequivocally that the mandate for field operations should be of a one-year duration when the participating State hosting the field operation concurs. We continue to believe that a six-month extension represents a very heavy administrative burden for the Mission and we do not see any reason to render the functioning of the Mission even more challenging in the current very difficult circumstances, when the Republic of Moldova continues to face the consequences of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

We remind the Russian Federation of its commitment, made at the 1999 Istanbul OSCE Summit, to completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces and equipment stationed on the territory of the Republic of Moldova without its consent. We also recall the international commitments of the Russian Federation to destroy the ammunition stockpiles at the Cobasna depot. The OSCE has the mandate and means to ensure the safety, transparency, and international verification of such operations.

We commend the Head of Mission and her dedicated team for the outstanding work they carry out to implement the mandate of the Mission, which has continued in spite of the present challenging circumstances. We recall our strong support for the Mission’s work in facilitating engagement and regular dialogue between the sides in the context of achieving a lasting comprehensive political settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognised borders with a special status for Transnistria.

It is essential that the Mission continues to monitor the situation in the Security Zone and on the border with Ukraine, reporting promptly on any incidents occurring there. We reiterate our appeal for strict adherence to the rules established by the Joint Control Commission in the Security Zone and emphasise the importance of respecting the Mission’s mandate and ensuring the free movement of its members.

Having in mind the importance of allowing the OSCE Mission to Moldova to continue its invaluable work, and taking into account the position of the host country, the EU has decided to join the consensus to extend the mandate by six months.

We call on Russia to reconsider its position in order to allow for a resumption of a one-year extension of the Mission’s mandate, as per the established rule it agreed upon at ministerial level during the MC meeting in Brussels in 2006.

We request that this interpretative statement be attached to the decision and to the journal of today’s meeting.