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29 October 1998
For immediate release
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Chisinau Statement of the Presidents of Ukraine, The Republic of Moldova and Romania on Trilateral Cooperation
At the meeting in Chisinau on October 22, 1998, the Presidents of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Romania,
Confirming the firm political will of their states set forth in the Statement on trilateral cooperation of July 3, 1997,
Considering trilateral cooperation as an important supplement to the efforts of the three states at the integration into European structures,
Willing to expedite efforts toward implementing certain projects aimed at creating favorable conditions for cooperation in various fields, agreed upon the following:
- To broaden cooperation of the three states on the issues of mutual interest within the framework of major international organizations, regional cooperation structures and initiatives;
- To support local authorities in creating "The Upper Prut" Euro-region and in developing cooperation within the framework of the recently created "The Lower Danube" Euro-region. To coordinate joint steps in drawing practical support from the international organizations, structures and institutions, in particular the European Union, Council of Europe, Association of European Regions, East-West Institute;
- To study the possibility of working out the legal basis for measures and mechanisms for abolishing payments for the use of roads and transit of vehicles that are not stipulated by the bilateral agreements;
- To initiate a mechanism for consultations on the implementation of projects of energy resources transportation, including those from the Caspian Sea region;
- To coordinate the procedures for import, export and transit of dangerous materials and waste with a view to regulate their transportation in the territories of the three states;
- To sign a memorandum on crime prevention;
- To promote the creation of an automated system for the exchange of information on earthquakes and other emergencies, to pursue a policy of cooperation in overcoming their consequences.
The Presidents of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Romania expressed their concern over the lack of real progress in settling the issues in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova. They supported the peaceful and final resolution, as well as the determination of the Transnistrian status as a constituent part of the single, sovereign, independent and territorially integral Republic of Moldova. The presidents called for the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Budapest and Lisbon OSCE Summits on the withdrawal of the military formations of the Russian Federation from the territory of the Republic of Moldova. In this regard, they also stressed the importance of monitoring the withdrawal process by the OSCE mission in the Republic of Moldova.
The Presidents of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Romania share the concern of the international community over the developments in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo. They support the OSCE activity on the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and they assess the recent changes in the Balkans as positive.
Within the broader context of the European security, the support for the strengthening of the OSCE role as a tool for conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation was stated.
The presidents condemned the attempt to change a constitutional order in Georgia by force and expressed their support of resolute measures undertaken by lawfully elected President Eduard Shevardnadze, together with other branches of power in Georgia, in order to re-establish peace and order. In this regard, they confirmed their belief that the process of democratic reforms in Georgia must continue, and it would maintain the favorable climate for the implementation of major regional and inter-regional projects in which Georgia plays an important role.
The Presidents of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Romania agreed to cooperate in alleviating the impact of current regional and global economic crises on their states. They expressed hope that the international community would support the efforts of the economies in transition aimed at overcoming the adverse impacts of the crises on the implementation of economic and social reforms.
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