Former Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith Speeches

Letters to the Editor: Reunification Is Right for Moldova

by 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 19, 2003

Robert J. Loewenberg's Aug. 12 letter "Socor Is Right About Moldova" follows in the footsteps of earlier pieces by Vladimir Socor, of the same organization as Mr. Loewenberg. It is easy to criticize the cooperative efforts of the international community to solve Moldova's Trans-Dniestrian conflict; it is immensely more difficult to formulate a realistic solution, which both gentlemen fail to do while proffering a number of assertions that do not stand up to scrutiny.

Mr. Loewenberg is wrong when he suggests that the U.S. State Department is uneasy about its approach to solving this problem. The U.S. government believes that a federal model provides the best basis for a resolution. So does the independent International Crisis Group, which argues in its recent report "Moldova: No Quick Fix" that "a federation -- preferably asymmetric and multi-member -- would be the best political system for a unified Moldova."

Mr. Loewenberg's attacks on the OSCE and on U.S. policy also fall wide of the mark. The U.S. has played a central role in the OSCE's work to facilitate implementation of Russia's commitment to withdraw its forces from Moldova. We are the largest donor to the OSCE Voluntary Fund, established to speed the withdrawal of thousands of tons of ammunition and small arms. The U.S. and our EU partners have put significant pressure on the Trans-Dniestrian leadership this year. Not only have we jointly introduced a visa ban on Trans-Dniester's top leaders, we have also helped Moldova and Ukraine conclude an important customs protocol preventing the export of Trans-Dniestrian goods without customs seals issued by the Moldovan government. Simultaneously, we are working very closely with the Dutch chairman-in-office of the OSCE to speed up the settlement process. It is clear that these steps got the Smirnov regime's attention. But if the Trans-Dniestrian leadership continues to place obstacles in the way of progress -- as they have recently, again, been doing -- we and our European allies are ready to consider further measures to pressure Tiraspol.

Momentum toward a settlement has built considerably over the last year. Such a settlement will not be imposed by any outside actor; the people of Moldova will decide freely, by referendum, the merits of any constitutional arrangement put before them. For our part, we will continue to do everything possible to promote a just and rapid resolution of a conflict that has gone on far too long.