CHISINAU. Jan 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) mission to Moldova on Thursday accused Moldova's separatist region of Transdnestr of hindering efforts by Moscow to remove its remaining weapons from the region.
The new head of the OSCE mission to Moldova, David Swartz, at his first news conference in Chisinau praised Russia for meeting its commitment last year under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty to remove tanks and heavy artillery from Transdnestria.
He said Russia had gone ahead of schedule in doing so.
But he complained that this year, Russia was behind schedule in withdrawing its weapons and ammunition. This, he added, was the fault of the administration of the self-proclaimed Transdnestrian Moldovan Republic.
He accused Transdnestria of using artificial pretexts to hamper the pullout of Russian weapons.
He also said that, of 43,000 tonnes of ammunition that is to be removed, 26,000 tonnes was to be disposed of on the spot, because it was not transportable. He expressed hopes that the rest would leave Transdnestria this year with financial aid from OSCE countries.