Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 May 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 4 June 2021. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 7 June 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Moldova: Elections

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Moldova regarding the separatist region of Transnistria after the disputed result of last year’s presidential election and the early elections called for 11 July; and what discussions they have had with the government of Russia concerning their position on the issue, particularly given recent expressions of concern by the presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Answer: The UK supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, and a sustainable resolution of the Transnistrian conflict, with a special status for the Transnistrian region. Since Moldovan Presidential elections in 2020, which were assessed by international observers to have been 'well-managed', we do not assess that the security situation in Transnistria has worsened. However, we are concerned by recent reports of human rights abuses and limitations placed on freedom of movement by the de facto Transnistrian authorities. There have been no recent bilateral discussions between the UK and Russian governments on the status of this issue. Minister Morton discussed Transnistria with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Interim Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi on 12 May during her visit to Chisinau. The UK raises Transnistria regularly in international fora, and we will continue to press for the withdrawal of illegally-stationed Russian forces from the Transnistrian region, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions.

Secondary information