MOLDOVA ISSUE IN NATO DOCUMENTS

NATO summits

Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting
of the North Atlantic Council in Bucharest on 3 April 2008

1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, met today to enlarge our Alliance and further strengthen our ability to confront the existing and emerging 21st century security threats. We reviewed the significant progress we have made in recent years to transform NATO, agreeing that this is a process that must continue. Recognising the enduring value of the transatlantic link and of NATO as the essential forum for security consultations between Europe and North America, we reaffirmed our solidarity and cohesion and our commitment to the common vision and shared democratic values embodied in the Washington Treaty. The principle of the indivisibility of Allied security is fundamental. A strong collective defence of our populations, territory and forces is the core purpose of our Alliance and remains our most important security task. We reiterate our faith in the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.…………………………………

42. We fully endorse the statement of the North Atlantic Council of 28 March 2008 and reaffirm the Alliance's commitment to the CFE Treaty Regime, as expressed in the Alliance's position contained in paragraph 42 of the 2006 Riga Summit Declaration, the final statement by Allies at the CFE Extraordinary Conference in Vienna and Alliance statements reflecting subsequent developments. We place the highest value on the CFE Treaty regime with all its elements and underscore the strategic importance of the CFE Treaty, including its flank regime, as a cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic Security. We are deeply concerned that the Russian Federation has continued its unilateral "suspension" of its legal obligations under the CFE Treaty. This action does not contribute to our common objective of preserving the long-term viability of the CFE regime and we urge the Russian Federation to resume its implementation. The current situation, where NATO CFE Allies implement the Treaty while Russia does not, cannot last indefinitely. We have offered a set of constructive and forward-looking proposals for parallel actions on key issues, including steps by NATO Allies on ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty and by the Russian Federation on outstanding commitments related to Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. We believe these proposals address all of Russia's stated concerns. We encourage Russian authorities to work cooperatively with us and other concerned CFE States Parties to reach agreement on the basis of the parallel actions package so that together we can preserve the benefits of this landmark regime.
43. We are concerned with the persistence of regional conflicts in the South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova. Our nations support the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. We will continue to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of these regional conflicts, taking into account these principles.

Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting
of the North Atlantic Council in Riga on 29 November 2006

1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, reaffirm today in Riga our resolve to meet the security challenges of the 21st century and defend our populations and common values, while maintaining a strong collective defence as the core purpose of our Alliance. Our 26 nations are united in democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law, and faithful to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. ……………………………………

42. We reaffirm our commitment to the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone of European security and to the early entry into force of the Adapted Treaty, which would permit accession by new States Parties. The 3rd Review Conference underscored the vital importance we attach to the CFE Treaty and we are determined to maintain our constructive approach to conventional arms control. Fulfilment of the remaining Istanbul commitments on the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova will create the conditions for Allies and other States Parties to move forward on ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty. We welcome the important agreement signed by Russia and Georgia on 31 March 2006 on the withdrawal of Russian forces, and the progress made since then. We note with regret the continued lack of progress on withdrawal of Russian military forces from the Republic of Moldova and we call upon Russia to resume and complete its withdrawal as soon as possible.
43. We regret the persistence of regional conflicts in the South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova. Our nations support the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. We support continued efforts to achieve peaceful settlements to the conflicts involving these countries.

Istanbul Summit Communique Issued by the Heads of State and Government
participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council, 28 June 2004

1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, reaffirmed today the enduring value of the transatlantic link and of NATO as the basis for our collective defence and the essential forum for security consultation between Europe and North America…………………………….
17. We reiterate our commitment to the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone of European security, and reaffirm our attachment to the early entry into force of the Adapted Treaty. We recall that fulfilment of the remaining Istanbul commitments on the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova will create the conditions for Allies and other States Parties to move forward on ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty. We note the progress that was made in 2003 on withdrawal of Russian military forces from the Republic of Moldova. We regret that this progress has not continued in 2004 and that the extended 31 December 2003 completion date, agreed in the framework of the OSCE, was not met. It is essential that efforts be intensified to complete the withdrawal as soon as possible. We will continue, via the OSCE, to monitor and assist in this process. We urge a swift resolution of the outstanding issues between Georgia and Russia as set out in their Istanbul Joint Statement of 17 November 1999, and to this end, call upon the parties to resume negotiations at an appropriately senior level. We welcome the approach of non-CFE Allies who have stated their intention to request accession to the Adapted CFE Treaty upon its entry into force. Their accession would provide an important additional contribution to European security and stability.
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32. We remain committed to partnership with the Republic of Moldova and encourage it to make use of Partnership instruments to take forward its aspirations of promoting stability in the region as a Partner of this Alliance.
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Ministerial meetings

Final Communique Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council
held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, 8 December 2005

1. ……… Our Alliance is founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law as enshrined in the Washington Treaty and is faithful to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Enhanced political dialogue is key to addressing today's challenges to the security of Alliance members………….
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12. We welcome Ukraine's recent efforts to strengthen her democratic institutions and reform her defence and security sectors. We express satisfaction at this stage with our joint discussions of these reform efforts held following the launch of the Intensified Dialogue. We encourage Ukraine to continue to contribute to regional security. We stress that further progress towards achieving Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration goals, including possible participation in the Membership Action Plan, will depend primarily on Ukraine's concrete, measurable progress in implementing key reforms and policies, as well as the conduct of free, fair elections to the Verkhovna Rada in March 2006.
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16. We reiterate our commitment to the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone of European security and to the early entry into force of the Adapted Treaty, which would permit accession by new States Parties. We recall that fulfilment of the remaining Istanbul commitments on the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova will create the conditions for Allies and other States Parties to move forward on ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty. In this context, we welcome the important progress achieved by Russia and Georgia in their Joint Statement of 30 May 2005 on issues related to the withdrawal of Russian forces, and look forward to resolution of the remaining issues. However, we note with regret the lack of progress on withdrawal of Russian military forces from the Republic of Moldova and we call upon Russia to resume and complete its withdrawal as soon as possible.
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Final Communique Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council
held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, 9 December 2004

1. Today, we reviewed progress in implementing the Istanbul Summit decisions, discussed the key security challenges facing the Alliance, and agreed on measures to enhance Alliance operations. We reaffirm the enduring value of the transatlantic link and of NATO as the basis for our collective defence and the essential forum for security consultation between Europe and North America.
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11. We reiterate our commitment to the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone of European security and to the early entry into force of the Adapted Treaty, which would permit accession by new States Parties. We recall that fulfilment of the remaining Istanbul commitments on the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova will create the conditions for Allies and other States Parties to move forward on ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty. Given the lack of progress in 2004 on withdrawal of Russian military forces from the Republic of Moldova it is essential that efforts be intensified to complete the withdrawal as soon as possible. We urge the resumption of substantive negotiations between Georgia and the Russian Federation to resolve the outstanding issues related to their 17 November 1999 Istanbul Joint Statement.
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Final communique Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council
held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, 4 December 2003

1. As we meet today, NATO is acting to preserve peace through its operations; spreading stability through its partnerships; and reinforcing our community of shared values through the most robust round of enlargement in our history. The North Atlantic Alliance remains the basis of our collective defence and the essential transatlantic forum for security….
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24. As we have consistently stated, we remain committed to the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone of European security, and reaffirm our attachment to the early entry into force of the Adapted Treaty. We recall that fulfilment of the remaining Istanbul commitments on Georgia and Moldova will create the conditions for Allies and other States Parties to move forward on ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty. We welcome the approach of those non-CFE countries, which have stated their intention to request accession to the Adapted CFE Treaty upon its entry into force. Their accession would provide an important additional contribution to European security and stability.
25. We urge swift resolution of the outstanding issues between Georgia and Russia as set out in their Istanbul Joint Statement of 17 November 1999 and, to this end, call upon the parties to resume negotiations at an appropriately senior level. We note the progress that was made on withdrawal of Russian military forces from Moldova during the first half of 2003. We regret that this progress was not sustained and that the 31 December 2003 extended deadline, agreed in the framework of the OSCE, will not be met. It is essential that efforts be intensified to complete the withdrawal in early 2004. We will continue, via the OSCE, to assist in this process.

Final Communiquй Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council,
Reykjavik, 14 May 2002

1. Since 11 September, NATO has acted on its core commitments to deter and defend against any threat of aggression against any NATO member state, as provided for in Articles 5 and 6 of the Washington Treaty.
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24. Concerning the CFE Treaty, we welcome the Russian Federation's December declaration that it is now within agreed levels of armament and equipment. We encourage Russia to enhance its cooperation with NATO to facilitate our efforts to verify this claim as soon as possible. However, we can envisage ratification of the adapted CFE Treaty only in the context of full compliance by all States Parties with agreed Treaty limits and consistent with the commitments contained in the CFE Final Act. We urge a swift resolution of outstanding issues relating to Istanbul commitments, including on Georgia and Moldova. Recognising the contributions of the CFE Treaty to European security and stability, we recall that the entry into force of the adapted CFE Treaty would permit accession by non-CFE States. We welcome the entry into force of the Open Skies Treaty on 1 January 2002.

Final Communique Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council
Held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, December 2001

1. The terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 resulted in the invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty for the first time in the history of the Alliance. We deplore the loss of life which affected so many NATO members and partner countries. Today, we have issued a separate statement addressing NATO's response to terrorism and contribution to the campaign against this scourge.
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16. Recalling the results of the second CFE Review Conference, Allies welcome Russia's planned reductions of its excess equipment in the North Caucasus to agreed levels, which must be transparent and verifiable, and progress in the reduction and withdrawal of Russian equipment from Moldova. We call for swift resolution of remaining issues between Russia and Georgia. Allies can envisage ratification of the adapted CFE Treaty only in the context of full compliance by all States Parties with agreed Treaty limits and consistent with the commitments in the CFE Final Act.
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Final Communique Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council
Budapest, 29 May 2001

1. At our meeting today, we took stock of the progress made in promoting the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area and gave guidance for further implementation of the Washington Summit decisions.
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71. We welcome the Russian Federation's completion of the first phase of its Istanbul commitment to reduce and withdraw forces from Georgia. An important deadline of 1 July 2001 is approaching as by then the Russian military bases at Gudauta and Vaziani will have to be disbanded and the forces withdrawn, as was agreed at the Istanbul Summit. We look for early completion of the negotiations regarding the duration and modalities of the remaining Russian military bases consistent with the Host States rights under Article IV Paragraph 5 of the current CFE Treaty. We underline the need for substantive and early progress on Russia's Istanbul commitment to withdraw its military forces and equipment from Moldova. The deadline will approach at the end of this year for completion of the first phase of this commitment, the withdrawal and/or destruction of Russian TLE, which has not yet begun to be implemented.

Final Communique Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council
Brussels, 14 and 15 December 2000

1. At our meeting, we took stock of the progress made in NATO's ongoing efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to South-East Europe, and gave guidance for further implementation of the Washington Summit decisions.
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58. We look for no less timely and effective fulfillment of the CFE Final Act commitments requiring the reduction and withdrawal of Russian military forces from Georgia and Moldova in accordance with the timelines agreed at Istanbul. We welcome progress thus far in Georgia, but note the importance of full Russian withdrawal of excess Treaty-limited equipment by the end of this year, and of actual closure of designated Russian military bases by the middle of next year. However, there has been little tangible progress in implementation of the unconditional commitment to complete withdrawal of Russian forces from the territory of Moldova. To meet the deadlines set at Istanbul, the pace of withdrawal should be accelerated. We applaud and support the efforts of individual Allies and OSCE Partners to facilitate these activities through financial and other assistance.

Final Communique Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council
Florence, 24 May 2000

1. Today in Florence, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting peace, stability and freedom through a strong North Atlantic Alliance founded on the principles of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. We gave guidance for further implementation of the Washington Summit decisions and took stock of the achievements of NATO's ongoing efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to South-East Europe.
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51. The Adaptation of the CFE Treaty will ensure the continuing viability of the Treaty as a cornerstone of European security and stability. We are pleased that the Adapted Treaty will permit accession by new States Parties. Allies are now engaged in preparing for the implementation of the Adapted Treaty. We advocate its entry into force at the earliest possible time, but this can only be envisaged in the context of compliance by all States Parties with the Treaty's agreed levels of armaments and equipment, consistent with the commitments contained in the CFE Final Act. We look for early and effective implementation of Russia's commitments to reduce and withdraw its forces from Moldova and Georgia. In this regard, we welcome efforts by Allies and OSCE Partners to provide assistance to facilitate implementation of these commitments. We remain concerned about the continued high levels of Russian Treaty Limited Equipment in the North Caucasus in relation to the Treaty's Article V ("flank") limits. These levels must be brought into line with Treaty limits, in a manner consistent with agreed counting rules and procedures, if entry into force is to be possible. We have noted Russia's assurances that this breach of CFE limits will be of a temporary nature and expect Russia to honour its pledge to reduce to CFE limits as soon as possible and, in the meantime, to provide maximum transparency regarding its forces and equipment in the North Caucasus. It is on this basis that Allies will continue to work towards bringing the Adapted Treaty into force. Pending the completion of this process, the continued implementation of the existing Treaty and its associated documents remains crucial.