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UN Photo98th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 72nd Session
The General Assembly today adopted two resolutions, the first of which urged the Russian Federation to unconditionally withdraw its troops and armaments without delay from the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
Introducing the draft text on “Complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova” (document A/72/L.58), that country’s Foreign Minister noted that the Operational Group of Russian Forces were stationed in his country without its consent. The principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity were at stake, he noted, underscoring that the proposed resolution was in no way a bid for confrontation, nor was it intended to politicize the issue.
Before the resolution was put to a vote, the representative of the Russian Federation proposed that consideration of the draft should be postponed through a no-action motion. He noted that the text had not been the result of preliminary consultations and that process meant it was not amenable to consensus building. He emphasized that the Republic of Moldova itself was divided on the issue at hand, and for that reason the vote should be delayed, allowing for the opportunity to further work on the draft. The no-action motion was not adopted.
By the terms of the text, the Assembly expressed its deep concern about the continued stationing of the Operational Group of Russian Forces on the territory of the Republic of Moldova without the consent of that State or of the United Nations. It also urged the Russian Federation to complete, unconditionally and without further delay, the orderly withdrawal of the Operational Group.
Also by the resolution, the Assembly noted with appreciation the efforts made by the States participating in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which were aimed at facilitating the completion of the withdrawal process of the Russian military forces. It also emphasized the commitment by the Russian Federation to complete that withdrawal within a specific timetable, as agreed at the 1999 Istanbul Summit.
The General Assembly also approved the draft resolution “Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian Region” (document A/72/L.61).
Introducing the draft text, the representative of Uzbekistan said that its main purpose was to gain the support of the international community in the efforts of Central Asian States to foster closer collaborations in order to ensure peace and stability in the region. He also emphasized their shared spiritual and cultural heritage.
By the texts’ terms, the Assembly expressed its support for the ongoing regional efforts to strengthen economic cooperation and stability in Central Asia, and encouraged their efforts to promote peace and development in Afghanistan.
By the resolution, it also noted the importance of developing and strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation in the sphere of the rational and integrated use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, and called upon Member States to support Central Asian nations in their efforts to mitigate the consequences of the drying up of the Aral Sea.
Welcoming the adoption, the representative of Kazakhstan said that a prosperous Central Asia was beneficial to all nations, not just those in the region.
Also speaking were representatives of Ukraine, Myanmar, Belarus, Syria, Viet Nam, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, as well as a representative of the European Union.
