Former Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith Speeches

Letters to the Editor: It Takes an International Effort to Unify Moldova

Stephan M. Minikes, U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe;
Rudolf V. Perina, U.S. Special Negotiator for Eurasian Conflicts;
Pamela Hyde Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Moldova.
The Wall Street Journal Europe
August 5, 2003

Vladimir Socor was correct when, in his June 16 column "How to Discredit Democracy and Federalism," he described the Trans-Dniestrian separatist region of Moldova as a "black hole on Europe's doorstep." Unfortunately, in his most recent column ("The EU Can Secure Its Own Neighborhood," July 25), Mr. Socor's analysis is off-base.

He wrongly describes a plan to resolve the Trans-Dniestrian dispute by creating a federal Moldovan state as "a mainly Russian project" that "would hand Moscow a permanent lever of influence over" Moldova. In fact, this plan, proposed last year by international mediators (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Russia and Ukraine), represents the best hope in more than a decade of conflict to make Moldova a stable, unified democracy and a more attractive candidate for European integration.

For the last 10 years, the two sides have been unable to agree on a mutually acceptable framework to end the division of the country, which resulted from a short, sharp civil war after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was only after the mediators' proposal that the separatist authorities in Trans-Dniester indicated for the first time that they were willing, on the basis of this proposal, to be part of the Republic of Moldova. A joint constitutional commission is now working with international experts to draft a new constitution that would reintegrate Trans-Dniester into Moldova. Stripped of the unsustainable argument that reintegration efforts are undemocratic, the critics' main point boils down to a flawed assumption that the proposed federal solution would halt Moldova's efforts at European integration. In reality, the opposite is true. Until the Trans-Dniestrian conflict is resolved, Moldova will not be an attractive candidate for European integration. The only alternative that opponents of federalism offer is to wait -- probably for years, possibly forever -- until circumstances permit a re-unification on their terms.

The United States is continuously engaged in promoting a resolution of the Trans-Dniestrian dispute that is acceptable to the majority of Moldovans, one that would pave the way for increased democratization and economic development in Europe's poorest country. We have full confidence in the OSCE and we support its efforts to help mediate a resolution to this conflict. We also continue to cooperate with other key international actors, including the EU, Russia and Ukraine, to persuade both sides, but particularly the separatists, to take a constructive approach to the talks and to resolve this dispute, which has left all Moldovans so tragically far behind in a struggle for a better life. In February, the U.S. and the EU together announced that they would not issue visas to key Trans-Dniestrian leaders -- an action that, we believe, helped spur the recent progress in the political settlement talks.

Although the Moldovan government and the Trans-Dniestrian authorities remain divided on a number of important issues, the recent meetings of the Joint Constitutional Commission mark a major step forward on the road to a political settlement. The two sides have agreed that, once the commission has completed a draft constitution, it will be submitted for public discussion and separate referendum in both sides of the country. The people of Moldova will thus be the final judges of whether this constitution creates the framework for the kind of country in which they want to live.