Allow
me first to convey to you, Mr. President, the heartfelt congratulations of the
Republic of Moldova on your election and to wish you every success in
performing your important duties.
I should also like to take this opportunity to express once again my
gratitude and my country's gratitude to the participants in this forum. It
was thanks to their support that the Republic of Moldova, more than six months
ago, became a member of the great family of the United Nations and is now
able, in that new capacity, to add its efforts to those of other States in
promoting the noble values and ideals of the Charter of the United Nations.
I believe that this lofty rostrum of the United Nations General Assembly
is the best place to analyse, even if briefly, the processes and
transformations we are witnessing today and to discuss our common problems.
Beyond doubt, our civilization is undergoing profound and dynamic
changes, and for that reason it is acquiring a new quality, a different
content. The collapse of communism, the end of the cold war and the fall of
the Soviet empire, followed by the appearance of many new independent States,
whose peoples cherish freedom and democracy, are all changes of great
importance for the future of mankind.
At the same time, we are witnessing a constant deterioration of some
global problems, such as the appearance of new regional conflicts which
threaten the internal stability of those States and which also affect
international security. It is clear that those problems and the solutions to
them require the concerted efforts of the entire international community.
Accordingly, the United Nations, the most representative international body,
has an essential role to play as a universal centre for our collective action.
Regarding the revitalization of the United Nations and its restructuring
to reflect recent events, I believe that as the guarantor of international
peace and stability, the United Nations should expand its efforts for peace by
improving its peace-keeping machinery, by stepping up its activities in the
field of preventive diplomacy and by working out new, more effective machinery
to coordinate actions aimed at enhancing respect for the norms of
international law and ensuring the security and interests of small States such
as my own country.
I am convinced that today, more than ever before the United Nations is
capable of resolving the problems confronting the world community. It is
through such action that the great principles of the Charter which during
the time of the cold war remained merely ideals can be effectively
implemented and respected.
The United Nations, which in earlier days was a forum for ideological
polemics, is now becoming a body for international cooperation, a highly
authoritative body inspired by a profound constructive spirit. We are fully
convinced that the admission of new States to the United Nations family means
a mutual responsibility for them and for the United Nations.
The events that led to the incorporation of the Baltic countries
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania following the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact are well
known. Following that treaty, which had been imposed by force and has since
been declared null and void by the parliament of the former USSR, the
territory of my country was annexed and subjected to forced assimilation aimed
at making us forget our Latin origins and become part of "the Soviet people".
The proclamation of our Republic's independence and sovereignty and its
admission to membership in this world Organization opened the way to our
freedom with due regard, of course, for the strict observance of the norms
and principles of law accepted in international practice. It is in that
context that I wish to state that our goal is to advance towards a model of
social organization in our Republic which will match the high standards
developed by mankind in the socio-economic, juridical, political, spiritual
and other fields.
The year 1991 marked the beginning of the existence of independent States
with different socio-political and economic systems in the territory of the
former USSR. Each of them is seeking ways and means to build a State based on
law and the institutions and machinery appropriate for a market economy.
We believe that the international community's support should be conceived
and adapted to suit the actual conditions existing in each newly independent
country. For that reason, with a view to supporting the specific reforms for
the transitional period, the efforts of the United Nations and of its
specialized agencies will achieve positive results only if they are
coordinated with the socio-economic programmes devised and promoted by those
countries. The recent admission of the Republic of Moldova to the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank guarantees the success of the
reforms and also gives substantial support to our young State, which is firmly
committed to a process of democratic development.
However, the conflict unleashed in the eastern parts of Moldova is a major
obstacle to the promotion of our economic reforms and to the democracy to
which we are committed.
The pro-communist imperialistic forces constituted by the representatives
of the old "nomenklatura" the military-industrial complex and the higher
echelons of the former Soviet army have unleashed a full-fledged war against
the territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova in order to separate its
districts situated on the left bank of the Dniester.
At the same time the creation of guards' units, which also include
mercenaries from other States, and the involvement in the conflict of the
Fourteenth Army, which is under the jurisdiction of the Government of the
Russian Federation, are flagrant violations of the Constitution of the
Republic of Moldova and of the norms of international law, constituting open
aggression against our young State.
We believe that this conflict can be resolved at the regional level, but
there must also be active participation by the United Nations.
I should also like to take this opportunity to thank Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali for his efforts to end the conflict. Following his
initiative, a United Nations mission paid two visits to my country in the last
three months to investigate the situation.
On 21 July 1992, motivated by a sincere desire to put an end to the
hostilities, the President of my country signed with the President of the
Russian Federation the Agreement on principles for a peaceful settlement of
the armed conflict in those districts of the Republic of Moldova which were
involved. The Agreement had some positive effects: there was a cease-fire,
as well as a disengagement of the armed forces involved in the conflict.
Similarly, because of the presence of peace-keeping forces, human lives have
been spared. Nevertheless, the situation is still tense. The imperialistic
separatist and pro-communist forces do not comply with their obligations to
the letter. They are continuing to consolidate their own positions so that
the dismemberment of the trans-Dniester territories of the Republic of Moldova
has now become a fait accompli.
The constitutionally established juridical and administrative organs of
the Republic of Moldova in that area have been forced to leave their
premises. Parallel with this, organs of the so-called Moldavi Republic of the
Dniester have been set up. In that area, there are frequent violations of
human rights. The Moldovan population, in particular the representatives of
the local authorities as well as veterans, has been the victim of an extensive
campaign of psychological and physical persecution. People who do not support
the separatist policy are dismissed and many displaced persons who have
returned to their homes have found them occupied by mercenaries.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Agreement, former guards are
included in the peace-keeping forces, and this has led to acts of violence
against civilians. People living in the eastern districts of the Republic
still possess a large quantity of weapons.
For the reasons I have described, I emphasize that there is a need for
the permanent presence of a group of United Nations observers and also of some
human-rights experts in the Republic of Moldova to analyse the situation on
the scene.
From an analysis of the causes and development of the conflict, we can
conclude that one of the factors that have contributed and still contribute to
the destabilization of the situation is the presence of foreign military
forces in our territory. We must state with regret that the Moldovan-Russian
negotiations concerning the withdrawal of the Fourteenth Army on the terms set
for that withdrawal have been hampered by the representatives of the Russian
Federation, who are equivocating about the negotiations and consequently about
the withdrawal of that army of occupation.
Furthermore, assertions to the effect that the Fourteenth Army can act as
a guarantor of peace are not justified. It is an army of occupation, which,
as recent events have shown, is a permanent source of tension and conflict,
and the deployment of so-called peace-keeping forces belies its supposed
status of peace guarantor. The technical reasons that have been adduced are
likewise inexplicable. If the political will exists, the 4,000 or so military
personnel can easily be withdrawn.
For the resolution of this matter, we expect much from the democratic
forces of Russia, which could demonstrate that country's devotion to
democratic values. In the present extremely complex situation it would be
very useful to have the support of the United Nations with a view to securing
guaranteed political cooperation and a demonstration of genuine political will
on the part of those involved, particularly Russia.
We are convinced that the universal prestige of the United Nations and
your support would make possible the unconditional and immediate withdrawal of
the Fourteenth Army and an easing of the conflict before it degenerates into a
conflagration with unforeseeable consequences. Accordingly, I welcome the
fact that one item of the agenda of the current session of the General
Assembly is an amendment, submitted by the Republics of Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania, on the complete withdrawal of foreign military forces from the
territory of the Baltic States. However, I hope that that problem which, as
I have already pointed out, is of great importance to my country will be
discussed as part of a wider debate which also deals with the withdrawal of
the foreign armed forces now in my country's territory.
The Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova are aware of the
fact that orienting domestic legislation towards international standards in
the field of human rights is the only effective means of consolidating the
democratic process. The country I represent has acceded to the main
international instruments on human rights. The supreme legislative forum of
our Republic will soon complete its preparation of the new constitution, and
that will greatly enhance the process of building a State based on law and a
pluralistic democracy.
Peace and cooperation are the two main pillars of the foreign policy of
the Republic of Moldova. Accordingly, security problems in my country are
very important. Geopolitically, Moldova is a meeting-point between eastern
and western Europe. For that reason, we seek to establish friendly,
cooperative relations with all States, without belonging to any military bloc.
I should like to take this opportunity to convey cordial congratulations
to Georgia, to Slovenia, to Croatia and to Bosnia and Herzegovina on becoming
Members of the United Nations.
We are convinced that only human solidarity can promote democracy
throughout the world, put an end to conflicts and stop the violations of
internationally accepted norms of behaviour. The Republic of Moldova is
deeply devoted to the ideals of freedom, democracy and human dignity, which
are the main tenets of its policy.