No "Made in Washington" formula for Transdniestria says U.S. diplomat

Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried of the U.S. State Department will not impose a solution (Photo: American Abroad Media)

VIENNA (Tiraspol Times) - A senior U.S. diplomat said Tuesday that the United States has no specific formula for Transdniestria and won't seek to impose a "Made in Washington" change on the peacekeeping forces.

Daniel Fried, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters in Vienna that he wants a "creative way forward" and that his country - which is not a party to the conflict - is "open to suggestions."

" - We're open to suggestions ... we don't have a 'Made in Washington' formula," Fried said.

Fried made his comments as head of the U.S. delegation to an extraordinary conference, starting Tuesday, of signatories to the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty.

Although Russia has long wanted the treaty to take effect, the United States refused to ratify this arms control treaty in its original form. The American position is that a later promise by Russia to withdraw personnel from Transdniestria and Georgia should take place first, although Russia points out that this is an "artificial linkage" and that one thing has nothing to do with the other.

Nevertheless, Fried made it clear that Russia has followed the requirements of he United States in Georgia, a country on Russia's southern border. But he complained that the wishes of the United States had not been followed in Transdniestria.

" - They're almost there with respect to Georgia (but) with respect to Trans-Dniester — no, I'm afraid they're not there," Fried said.

Following the wish of the local population

The difference, says Michael Garner, an analyst, is that in the case of Georgia, the local government is aligned with the United States and has asked Russia to pull back from its former Soviet-era positions.

" - Russia, respecting the sovereign wish of the government of Georgia, has done so," explains Garner.

" - In Transdniestria, on the other hand, the local government does not want Russia to pull out. It regards Russian participation in the multilateral peacekeeping force as a strong guarantee that the 1992 ceasefire with Moldova will be enforced."

In March 1995, voters in Transdniestria held a referendum where the voters decided whether or not they will allow the permanence within Transdniestria's borders of remaining troops from the former 14th Russian Army. More than 90% supported a stay of these Russians in Transdniestria.

" - Russia has respected this wish, too, keep a limited number of personnel in Transdniestria as a symbolic guarantee of peace," says Garner. "Moldova, which is opposed to Russian troops, is not home to any Russian troops. Although Moldova maintains an unenforcable territorial claim over Transdniestria, and thinks that Transdniestria is part of Moldova, the only Russian troops are located inside Transdniestria - and not Moldova proper - where they are hosted with the consent of the Transdniestrian people and their government."

Peacekeeping troops from 4 countries

Another observer, conflict resolution specialist Stephen Hill, largely agrees with Garner and says that he believes that both Moldova and the United States are "barking up the wrong tree": Before any troop pullout, it is worth investigating the merits of Moldova's territorial claim over Transdniestria.

" - Changing the peacekeeping component now is inadvisable. The status talks have been deadlocked, and until there is a clearer picture of a final status it is simply not prudent to play with fire and make any changes that can alter the stability of the current peacekeeping force," says Gill, adding that "peace is a fragile in this part of the world. Caution should be the watchword of the day."

The Russian contingent forms part of a peacekeeping force where it is one of the smaller components. Larger numbers of troops are provided by both Moldova and Transdniestria, the unrecognized state which also goes under names such as Transnistria, Trans-Dnestr and its official name, Pridnestrovie.

In addition to peacekeeping activities, Russia also provides security for a large World War II era weapons dump which contains outdated ammunition stockpiles and which has to a large extent been dismantled by now.

U.S. wants American and NATO troops in Transdniestria

Daniel Fried said he would like a "creative way forward" in terms of peacekeeping activities.

" - Well, if it is a peacekeeping function, maybe we ought to consider how a modest peacekeeping function could be properly internationalized ... in other words, there may be a way forward with creative compromise here."

His words follow last week's idea by U.S. arms official Paula DeSutter that American troops and NATO troops should be sent to Transdniestria.

PMR Foreign Minister Valeri Litskai, speaking on behalf of the government in Tirapsol, rejected this idea and pointed out that the existing peacekeeping force in the buffer zone between Transdniestria and Moldova is already internationalized: It consists of troops from four countries, Moldova, Russia, Pridnestrovie (Transdniestria) and Ukraine.

In addition to its four-country troop participation, the peacekeeping mission is also joined by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, which participates with military observers and acts as the international representative in the region for its 56 member countries. The head of the OSCE mission is an American Ambassador, and the United States is a member country of the OSCE, notwithstanding the fact that the USA is not a European country. (With information from AP)

See also:
» Foreign Ministry rejects U.S. troops in Transdniestria
» Opposition MP: "Change in the peacekeeping format can bring new war"